I have Sherri Haab to blame for all of this.  And by “this” I mean the polymer clay supplies that lurk in many corners of my house, the business I’ve built around clay books + videos, and the piles and piles of polymer jewelry mostly gathering dust in my bedroom.  (You know how that goes – you have your two or three favorite pieces, which soon are replaced by new work, and this continues through the years until you have a jewelry box full of stuff that is just hideous compared to your most recent masterpiece. You wouldn’t be caught dead in them now, but you feel funny throwing them away, knowing as you do all of the blood sweat and tears that went into making them back in 1996.  Please tell me you do this too.)

Anyway, I’m sure it’s completely unfair to blame Sherri.  I should probably be blaming Neil, who brought the book into the house in the first place.  Or maybe I should just accept that polymer clay and I were destined to meet one way or another, and the mechanism by which we came together those 14+ years ago is largely irrelevant.

In any case, I did get my first exposure to polymer through Sherri Haab, I enjoy her style, and I like her books, even the ones that are not specifically about polymer clay, like this brand new one: Sherri Haab Jewelry Inspirations: Techniques and Designs from the Artist’s Studio.

There are three polymer projects in the book, all of which are interesting, but none of which really float my own particular boat.  Luckily, what Sherri lacks in polymer clay depth here, she makes up for in general clay breadth.  In other words, I don’t mind the lack of polymer here because she’s playing with other kinds of clay that I find pretty neat.  In particular, metal clay and epoxy resin clay.

I plan on dusting off my metal clay supplies in the next week or so, but until then I decided to try a more instant-gratification project.  I had trouble choosing between the Sea Urchin Rings and the Resin Clay Flower Bracelets, but in the end I chose the bracelets.

Like I mentioned a few days ago, we’re in a financial crunch around here, so I didn’t want to invest in any new materials (as super cool as that epoxy resin clay sounds) so I substituted polymer in making the flower.  This is one case where the material used really doesn’t matter, because the sculpted part could be cured by itself.  (In other projects, it might not be appropriate to substitute an oven-bake clay for an air-dry clay, because the materials embedded in the clay may not be heat-resistant.)

I also used some of the leftover clay from the flower to make the easiest. button. ever. instead of using a mass-produced one.

I actually think that this bracelet looked just as nice before I put the flower on it.  I may have to make myself a little pile of braided fabric bracelets with matching solid-color buttons for the spring…

So I had fun with this book.  There’s nothing overly artsy or complicated here, just plenty of fun, lighthearted, and hip designs to play with, and a handful of new materials to explore.

How about you?  Want to have a little fun with this book?   Learn to make this bracelet, some big funky rings, vintage glass bead earrings, metal clay charm pendants, and more?  Leave a comment on this post, and I’ll choose a random winner sometime Monday evening (3/15).  Good luck!!

Until then, here are some links to keep you busy:

• Buy the book from me at Polka Dot Creations
• Read all of my blog posts about this book
• Visit Sherri’s website

This topic in blog history:

• The results are in - March 2010

Last summer, I was asked to submit a beginner-friendly polymer clay project for the upcoming Craft Hope book. The book will feature pairs of projects and charities, the idea being that you can make the projects and then donate them to the charities.

I was honored to be included, and so I set to work and designed a heart pendant that was attractive yet simple, and then sent it off happily to the publisher.  A few weeks later, I was disappointed to find out that the charity my project had been paired-up with was not interested in receiving polymer clay jewelry.  They wanted “glass only.”

That was a really big bummer, of course, and it might have been nice if the charity had let their preferences be known up front, before I spent all of that time working on my project, but what can you do?  On the bright side, I now had this tutorial written up, and all of these photos taken, and I only needed a place to use them.  Well, last week (five months later), it hit me:  these hearts started with Craft Hope, why not use them in that way now?

In case you haven’t yet heard, Craft Hope has opened an Etsy shop for Haiti.  100% of the proceeds from every sale will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.  The shop is stocked with handmade items from all over the blogosphere (they’ll be accepting more items after they’ve had a chance to catch their breaths, if you are inclined to donate something yourself).  As of this writing, there are nearly 170 items listed, and over 1500 ($27,000+) sold.  In just a few weeks!  I think that’s just wonderful, don’t you?

So I spent last Tuesday morning putting my instructions and photos together into a 6-page PDF, and am now pleased to announce that 20 copies of the Polka Dot Cottage Hearts tutorial are available for sale through Craft Hope. Please consider this little splurge, particularly if you’ve thought about playing with polymer clay, but were intimidated by long supply lists, or were put off by a need for expensive equipment.  You can make these hearts with nothing more than a few colors of Sculpey III, an old kitchen knife, and a toothpick.  Everything else is optional.

Alternately, I stumbled across Hearts for Haiti on etsy a few days ago, and since a heart tutorial seemed like the perfect fit for such a shop, there are now also 20 copies available there.  Both shops are donating to the same charity, so please just feel free to purchase wherever you prefer.  You may also get your copy directly from me at Polka Dot Creations, but I do hope that you will check CraftHope and HeartsForHaiti first and buy through them for as long as they still have copies.

Even if you’re not intrigued by these hearts, I urge you to head over to either shop and see what else may be of interest.  Buy yourself a little something special and help make a difference in the world at the same time.

This topic in blog history:

• The girliest thing I’ve ever made - February 2009
• Pink. - November 2009

Every first full week of January, having just re-opened my two shops (Polka Dot Creations and Polka Dot Cottage, if you’re new here) there is always the mad dash to get 2+ weeks’ worth of orders processed, invoiced, and out the door.  I’ve been known to spend the entire month of January just trying to keep up!  Well, allow me to pat myself on the back for a moment, because as of about an hour ago, all of the in-stock orders from my vacation have been shipped.  Yippee!

It’s a wonder I got this far, though, I have to tell you.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but I am very easily-distracted.  (Well, duh!)  Ever wonder what attracts a mind like mine, when it should be stuffing DVDs into padded envelopes?

Ad space auctions.  As I mentioned a few days ago, I decided to offer a sponsor spot on the blog.  It uses an auction model, so I started the bidding off at $0/day (i.e. free).  Well, let me tell you, friends, for 48 hours I have been mesmerized, refreshing my screen to see the bids creep upwards.  Trust me, nobody is getting rich on this – the high bid as of this writing is ten cents per day, which should buy me a cup of fancy coffee in about a month and a half.  There’s just something so fun to me about watching the process.  At least, when it’s actually moving.  The same person has been high bidder since yesterday and I’m getting a little antsy for some action over there… C’mon, let’s see those bids roll in! Mama needs a Gingerbread Latte.  Hee hee.

As a testament to my need to see people duke it out virtually for a tiny piece of blog real estate, I added two more ad boxes.  Purely for my own entertainment.  Clearly I have an illness, but as long as the blog doesn’t look like one ridiculous billboard, and small crafty businesses like mine are getting a bit more exposure, who am I to argue with myself?

PolyPubs. I posted a new list last night, and ever since then I’ve been thinking about ways to improve the service.  PolyPubs started out as a simple yahoo group, but a few months ago, I gave it its own website, and added links to other shops where readers could buy the books and DVDs.  I’d like to add even more features, most of which I’m not ready to talk about, but boy, have I been thinking about them.  Entirely too much.

My sweater.  Still knitting it, still optimistic that it will look like a sweater when I’m done with it.  Wanting to drop everything else to work on it, so that I can get it far enough to try it on.  Resisting, but not for long.

Other work: I’m doing a little website consulting for a local company.  Mulling over solutions for problems and blah blah blah blah blah.

What I am not thinking about but should be is laundry, what’s for supper, and when are all of these Christmas decorations going to be put away.  Only so much space in this head right now.  Wouldn’t want to overload the circuits or anything with all of those houseworky thoughts.  >shudder<

This topic in blog history:

• Four Things - August 2009

Technically, I am still on my Christmas vacation until Monday, but I had promised to take a day out of my holiday-having to ship Bettina Welker’s new book when it arrived.  I’d been checking the tracking information online every couple of days, but there’d been no change in status since December 15th.  Ack.  So you can imagine my surprise when Neil wandered into the family room at 11:30 this morning, lugging a big box of books from Germany.

Oh, they’re here?!  Great!

It was uncharacteristically forward-thinking of me to get customer payments ahead of time, and to print out the shipping paperwork before I started my vacation, but I did do those things, and as a result, I was able to jump right into packing these books up and printing the postage.  It was admittedly a long shot, but I actually managed to drop them all on the doorstep and put the flag up on the mailbox before the postal pickup today.

So, yay! The first wave of books is on its way to those who had preordered and paid before my vacation began.  New orders will go out next week.  And I still have a (very) small handful available if you’re feeling tempted now.

You know, after looking at the cover for so many months, I’ve been increasingly eager to get a look inside this book.  It’s written entirely in German, but there is a small pamphlet that comes with the book, which includes Kathi Briefer-Gose’s English translation of all fourteen projects.  I can imagine it might get a little awkward to have to flip back and forth between book and translation, but these projects are so fabulous-looking, it just might be worth it.

For now, though, I’m all about gawking at the eye candy.  My clay is packed up, and may very well remain that way until my annual trip to Atlantic City for the Clayathon in two weeks.  This book (along with Kathi’s translation)  is for sure going to be in my travel bag that weekend.  I’d like to use these earrings as a starting point for somethingorother. Probably – fittingly – a pair of earrings.

Oh, and speaking of books that arrived here while I was technically on vacation, Christi Friesen’s got a nifty new book called Steampunkery that marries her signature style with gears, watch parts, and all things steampunky.  While it’s not really my style, I have to admit I couldn’t put the book down – I read it cover to cover.  And I just may find myself applying some of those ideas to my own work.  Hey, I’ve got a whole Clayathon during which to play, right?

Speaking of gears, I need to change mine now.  A certain six-year-old is attending a friend’s birthday party tomorrow, and I’ve got a sock puppet to finish making.

Happy Weekending, everyone!

This topic in blog history:

• Don’t judge a book by its cover - March 2009
• Delusions of Springtime (and a winner!) - March 2009

Now that both of my kids are school-age, I find that I appreciate my role as at-home Mom most deeply in the summer.  I’ve gotten used to having them both on schedules and gone for a great portion of the time during the school year, but in the summer?  In the summer, we can drop everything and meet friends for a movie if we want to.  Or we can make last-minute plans to spend the day with grandparents.  And there is no reason at all why we cannot follow the call of the ocean when we hear it.

My youngest and I did just that yesterday.  It’s a relatively short trip – about ninety minutes when there’s traffic – and when you know there is an aunt and a grandmother also there for the day, and a bedroom you can crash in if you want to, well, the decision to take off for a 24-hour vacation kind of makes itself.

Now, if you are a polymer clay fan and a book addict, you probably know that there was a new book due out yesterday, too.  And if you know me at all, you probably can guess that I got some crazy hairbrained idea about sewing myself something for the beach at the same time that I had a pile of books I wanted to pack up.

This is how I became a multi-tasking crazywoman on Monday night.

I’m happy to report that the books were packed up and sent along without so much as a hiccup.  The sewing? Not so much.  My Garden Party wrap skirt saw much seam-ripping, re-cutting of panels, and creative substituting of fabric to replace what was mis-cut.  It also took me about twice as long as it should have.  And in the end, the skirt ended up being a good three inches narrower than it was supposed to be.  Being a wrap skirt, it was still wearable, but I will admit I wasn’t entirely confident on the windy boardwalk and spent a lot of time holding the flap closed with my hand.  Just in case.

The things we do for our creative urges, eh?

I feel like there’s still one more shore trip in me before summer ends, although the calendar may think otherwise.  I hope it’s do-able, because really, there is nothing like waking up in a bright sun-lit room, with an ocean breeze caressing your bare shoulder.  And if you also happen to have a snuggly six-year-old and his boardwalk-won stuffed doggie for company, all the better.

This topic in blog history:

• My camera’s last hurrah? - March 2010
• Randomness - August 2009
• Decisions, decisions… - December 2008

It has rained here so much this summer, that dark lazy mornings have become the norm.  Rainy days bring out the loafer in me, so you can imagine how hard it has been to get anything useful done lately.  Luckily, when I loaf, I can still be productive, albeit in a way that may not have been completely necessary.

Case in point: PolyPubs.  PolyPubs is short for Polymer Clay Publications, and is a mailing list I began several years ago, in an attempt to publicize new books, dvds and such to the polymer clay community.  It was working just fine the way it was, doing it’s job for about 800 subscribers, but somehow yesterday I found myself registering a domain name and giving it a website.

I blame the rain.

Still, it is pretty cool, if I do say so myself, and I’d love for you to drop by and have a look.

There have always been unobtrusive links to my shop, so that you could buy the items on the list, if you like, but the main goal was to provide readers with enough information about a new title, that they could easily find it at their favorite bookshop.  That goal is still alive and kicking, but I’ve added to the online shopping options. Now in addition to my own Polka Dot Creations shop, PolyPubs has partnered with amazon.com and Powell’s Books (and hopefully soon a fourth choice, once I get it set up).  There ought now to be enough buying options to suit most people, and the formatting is much improved for those who still like the idea of printing out the list and shopping locally.

I have further ideas for evolving PolyPubs, but they’ll have to wait for another rainy day in the somewhat distant future, I think.

Two

Have I introduced Flufy to you yet?  Flufy is the moniker of my six-year-old, which he adopted sometime this year. When we started up his blog last month, we knew it would be the perfect title.  Flufy doesn’t do a whole lot of blogging just yet, but he has posted a few entries, and this weekend we began a project together that he’d love your help with.  If you have a camera and a car, drop by Flufy’s blog and see if you might like to help out with the License Plate Game!

Three

I procured for myself this weekend, a pair of highly unnecessary, but totally fun reading glasses.  It’s too bad I don’t wear glasses when I read…

Four

We have a winner in the Deliciously Dated Giveaway, chosen randomly by BOG and Flufy!  Congratulations to bzzzzgrrrl for her HOT STUFF memory.  I’ll have your goodies on their way to you shortly after I photocopy that one outfit I like. Heh.

This topic in blog history:

• Couch dents from the easily-distracted - January 2010

I do so love crafty books.  If I had unlimited funds, I’d run right out and stock my own creative library.  How fabulous would that be??  Sadly, funds are anything but unlimited, but I do get to treat myself now and then.  Since all of the books in my inspiration pile have cycled onto the shelf since I last talked about this, I thought it was time for another run-down of what I’m reading.

As I mentioned before, you can learn more about all of these titles here.  As I buy new books (or pick up a little something interesting from the library) you can keep up if you like by glancing over at the left sidebar under “reading.”  I keep that list very up-to-date.

So last night I got to spend an hour at the book store, snuggled into one of their comfy chairs with a pile of potential purchases. The only thing that can improve a night like that for me is getting to actually bring one or two of the books home with me.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have done it, but I splurged.  Yes, two of those babies came home with me last night, along with a Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino with whipped cream, because as long as I’m spending more money than I should, why not ingest more calories than I should as well?

It was a gluttonous feast of coffee and inspiration.

These are the two books I picked up:

• Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase – this has been on my wish list for months and months, and I finally could resist no longer.  My stack of thrifted pillowcases and I were powerless against its charming shirts, skirts, aprons, organizers, bags, and superhero capes.  I’m not sure what project will be first, but I really love the shirt project.
• Blogging for Bliss: Crafting Your Own Online Journal – Yes, I know I already have a blog, and I don’t really need a rundown of the various features of Blogger, Wordpress, and Typepad, but the geek in me finds these things oddly interesting.  And more than that, there are profiles of, oh, at least twenty creative bloggers in the book, and that’s something I always enjoy reading.  Many of the profiles are of bloggers I am familiar with, some of them are even on my must-read list.  I’ve only had a chance to read the first two chapters so far, but I’m looking forward to the discussion on bringing beauty to your blog.  That seems to me a topic from which even a seasoned blogger could glean some useful tidbits.

Other additions to my book stash this summer include these two that I picked up on a recent trip to Burlington, MA:

• Linen, Wool, Cotton: 25 Projects to Sew With Natural Fabrics – This is a Japanese sewing book that’s been translated to English.  I love the clean lines of the projects, and the natural materials.  Everything is simple and uncluttered with pattern.  Sometimes even those of us who are immersed in color and pattern for a living need a little bit of natural linen in their lives, I think.  One complaint I have: in the introduction to the chapter on linen, the author explains how there are many different flavors of the material, in varying degrees of heaviness.  Then, in each project’s materials, she simply lists “linen.”  I would benefit from knowing what weight of linen is appropriate for each project.  Still, the projects are lovely.  It’s probably worth making an educated guess about the linen.
• French General: Home Sewn – Mmm, I really love the aesthetic in this book.  The vintage French textiles are beautiful and have given me a new appreciation for the color red.  I’ve picked up some (non vintage and non French) red ticking fabric, and a thrifted red toile that I think will make fabulous pillow covers in my living room.

Also reading:

• The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest – You know I’ve been trying to spend these abundant summer months buying my produce only from the farmers’ markets.  That’s all well and good, but come winter, it’s back to the trucked-in stuff at the supermarket.  I bought this book in the hopes that I could literally bottle up some of that summer goodness for a colder day.  So far I’ve gotten some useful canning tips from it, but I really feel that I have barely scratched the surface with it.
• Amulets and Talismans – This is a beautiful book, filled with scrumptious eye candy.  I haven’t gotten beyond just looking at the pictures yet, but I hear the text explains many of the author’s fabulous cold connection techniques.  The point of the book is to empower you to make artful jewelry that is ripe with personal meaning.

From the Library:

Keep it Seasonal, which has gorgeous photos and enough appealing recipes that I am thinking it needs to be added to my wish list, and Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts, which I think I will never, ever, finish before it’s due back.

On my Radar:

How about you?  Reading anything exciting right now?  Looking forward to anything new?

This topic in blog history:

• The book pile, volume one - May 2009
• Bestsellers for July - July 2007
• Library thing - May 2008

Look what showed up on my doorstep last night, fellow clayheads.  Ancient Modern by Ronna Sarvas Weltman.  I’ve been looking forward to this book, by virtue of the piece on the cover alone.  I’m happy to say that the fresh aesthetic of the cover image is carried through the entire volume.

Now, I should stop and admit right here that I’ve only had this book in my possession for about 15 hours, one of which I’ve spent eating, one of which I’ve spent getting kids off to school, two of which I’ve spent online, and eight of which I’ve spent sleeping.  I’m not sure where the other three hours went, but they didn’t all go to perusing this book.  All that to say, I’ve gazed at the pictures, and I’ve thought about how the most appealing techniques might translate into my own work, but I’ve not yet read much of the text.

With that in mind, how about a small guided tour through some of my favorite features of the book so far?

I’ve already mentioned the unique look of Ronna’s work.  The textures, shapes and colors all work well here, and the pieces look like they could easily be selling in a museum shop.  I appreciate that the gallery is populated entirely with Ronna’s own work.  It makes for an appealing consistency.

For me, the focus on wire is worth the price of admission.  I enjoy making beads and components from clay, and I like to think I’m pretty good at it, but when it comes to finished jewelry, I always feel as if I am at the mercy of the findings available to me.  Learning to make one’s own findings not only lessens one’s dependency on outside sources, but it also ensures that the parts holding one’s pieces together truly look like an intentional aspect of the design.  I’ll be reading this clasp-making section very closely.

Periodically I get on a ring kick, I locate a store that sells an appropriate finding, and I go to town making a dozen or so of them.  The hardest part of that process, to me, is the “locate an appropriate finding” step.  What’s available goes from being too cheap-looking to too expensive to too impossible to make look attractive.  And then, once the ring blank is in-hand, it nearly always dictates how I must attach my clay.  There’s very little room for experimentation.  How freeing, then, to be able to eliminate the finding altogether, and make my own!  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have visions of chunky rings dancing through my head right now…

Before this book arrived, I was getting ready to switch out of clay mode and into sewing mode for a while.  Now I’m not so sure.  I wonder if I can make room for both on my work table?

I highly recommend this book (in case it isn’t obvious by now).  It’s going on my favorites list.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have preorders to ship and rings to daydream about!

This topic in blog history:

• Playing with scraps - June 2009

Every year in May I go a little bit book crazy.  I think, maybe, after several years of receiving birthday cards with Barnes & Noble gift cards tucked inside, I’ve become conditioned to mine my wish list for some creative reading, as my special day approaches.  I spend much of May mentally spending any birthday money that may come my way, and drooling over new releases.

In reality this year, I only had enough to buy one birthday book, but I’d also gotten a book from Neil earlier in the month “just because,” and I’d picked up two others for vacation purposes, so it was still a book-filled month.

I have a tendency to keep a small pile of new-ish reading material out on the table for inspiration purposes.  Usually they are not the kind of books that you would read, so much as they are the kind of books that inspire you to try new projects or creative techniques.  It’s rather hard to say when you are actually finished with a book like that, so I tend to just swap out the oldest one in the pile, when a new one comes on board.

So here’s my current book pile:

• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver – I’m about halfway through with this one, and it is really making me re-think my food-buying strategies.
• A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg – I finished reading the essays in this book, I really enjoyed them, but now I would like to try a few of the recipes.  There’s a pound cake calling my name, in particular.
• Sew What! Bags by Lexie Barnes – I’ve had this one since March or April, and I haven’t done any of the projects yet.  I still want to, though!  So many ideas, so little time…
• Local Flavors by Deborah Madison – I think I’m on a food kick.  This is the book I picked up for my birthday. I’m hoping it will help me prepare my family’s meals more seasonally, and really take advantage of the farmers’ markets this year.
• Sewing Green by Betz White – Lots of great ideas in this book, and next on my list to try is the reversable wrap skirt.  I’ve got my grandmother’s tablecloth and a thrifted pillowcase set, ready to go…
• Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross – It’s been a month or two since I’ve made anything from this book, but the few things I did, I’m still using/wearing regularly.

I’ll tell you what new release I really am looking forward to: Ancient Modern by Ronna Sarvas Weltman.  I’m expecting there to be a lot of creative jewelry construction ideas, which is always something I welcome.  I’ve got color and pattern down just fine, but construction, and determining what makes an attractive piece of finished jewelry, are concepts I still struggle with.  I’m also hoping it can teach me some basic wireworking techniques.

I know I get a lot of great reading ideas from my favorite bloggers.  If you’re like that, too, and you want to see what I’ve got in my inspiration pile, a random title pops up on my left sidebar each time you refresh the page.  Or, you can see them all in one place, here.

How about you?  What creative and domestic books are you reading now, and what are you hoping to read soon?  There’s a new Flickr group, I hope you’ll join, and participate when you can.  Piles of crafty, creative books are just so pretty, I think!

This topic in blog history:

• The book pile, volume two - July 2009
• The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree - June 2008
• Busy, busy, busy! - June 2006

I should have known this would happen.  It’s practically a given.  If I’m going to spend a week being under the weather and stuck in the house, then as soon as I feel well, I am going to take myself to the nearest shopping center and do a little damage to my wallet.  The more colorfully the better.

Something about being ill on the cusp of spring… By March I have already had more brown and gray than I can stand, but fever and congestion bring a whole new dimension to the colorlessness I already feel.  It’s inevitable that I will bounce in the other direction as soon as humanly possible.  Last year, I emerged on the other side of the early April stomach bug with a loud pair of pajama pants.  Today I postponed my morning routine and dropped $30 at Old Navy, where I bought two t-shirts and 3 pairs of shoes in bright Spring colors.

Matchy-matchy colors, I might add. Two new pairs of shoes to match the two new shirts.

And one new pair to match the shirt I had on.  Are you feeling that Spring feeling yet?  I totally am.  Still, it’s really not spring here in New Jersey, technically-speaking.  There are no flowers in sight, no buds on the trees, and no real greenery anywhere.  The average temperature during a Jersey March is 39 degrees.  Which brings me to this…

It’s still scarf weather, folks.  And you know, I am just desperate enough to see the end of winter that I can’t bring myself to wear the heavy gear I’ve been sporting for the last few months, even if it is still technically required.  I want to believe warmer days are imminent.  You can’t wear a heavy Winter coat and a wool neckwarmer when spring is right around the corner.  You just can’t.

Call it denial, if you want.  I call it optimism   And I think it requires a festive Spring scarf to go with my green vest.

For the curious, I made this tubular scarf on the 24-peg blue Knifty Knitter.  Each end involves 8 rows in a K2 P2 rib, and the rest of it is done in stockinette, 4 rows of each color.  I used Patons Classic Wool and Lion Brand Lion Wool from my stash.  A good project to keep me busy while I was nursing my flu.

For everyone else – all of you who have been reading along so patiently, waiting for me to stop yapping about the weather and just divulge the winner already – the time has come.   I visited random.org to help me choose a comment on my last post, and the winner of Christi Freisen’s fun new book Polymer Clay and Mixed Media – Together at Last is commenter #11 – Iris Mishly!  Congratulations, Iris.  I’ll drop you a line shortly so I can get your shipping information and get the book in the mail to you this week!

For those of you who didn’t win but would still like a copy of the book, I’ve got more in stock here.  Until Midnight on Friday, mention the blog in the comments section of the shopping cart, and if your order includes a copy of Christi’s book, I’ll give you 10% off that order.  Just my little way of thanking you for hanging around here and reading my ramblings.  Enjoy!

And Happy Spring!  It’s almost here.  I am sure of it.

This topic in blog history:

• Sunshine and crocuses - March 2010
• Warm weather knitting - June 2009
• Spring flowers - March 2010