Firebirdhouse

Fall, New Journals, and Lots of News

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:47:35 -0400

well, I am back after a more extended end-of-summer break than I intended. I always take a few weeks off at the end of the summer, to regroup and recharge, but this time, I think my fairy godmother gave me a hand ;) Until October 14th, you can see two of my journals as part of the amazing Janice Charach Gallery GREEN show in Detroit. I’d love to go but being in Atlanta, I have only seen pictures. If you live close enough, check it out for me! You can find more details here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/57053987/vintage-inspired-copper-rhinestone

and you can now find my journals, vintage text candles, and so much cool, unique art that I don’t know how they got it all into one building at HomeGrown Decatur Art Gallery, here in Atlanta. The gallery opened three weeks ago, and they are ramping up for the fall season with a grand opening on October 9th. I really feel humbled and blessed to be in the company of so much great art! www.homegrowndecatur.com And last but not least, I have got new listings for fall up now in the store, including a very fun journal line made from vintage pulp fiction novels that I will be adding to over the next couple of weeks. I’m pretty excited about that, as well as a whole lot of new things that are coming up over the next couple of months. Stay tuned and if you have a favorite author from the 1980s, please pass their name along to me via twitter ( www.twitter.com/firebirdhouse) or through the comments here. I really want to do some 80s book journals….

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All that Glitters

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:06:12 -0400

I couldn’t resist sharing this flashy, sparkly piece of 1940s glamour! Its been so hot here, I thought a little pop and sizzle would be all too appropriate :) You can find it here-

http://www.etsy.com/listing/52763691/vintage-aurora-borealis-crystal-ring

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Want to try Bookbinding?: What's in my toolkit

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:41:34 -0400

I have a ton of great books on bookbinding, and they all have recommendations about what tools to use, etc. When I was first starting out, I had a hard time figuring out what I really NEEDED vs. just wanting. That was a couple of years ago, and after lots of trial and experiment, I’ve gotten my own personal toolkit down to a few essentials. If I was stranded on a desert island to make books for the rest of my life, this is what I would wish to have with me- -a wooden, nonfancy bookcradle for holding signatures while punching holes
-2 awls, one fatter, one thinner. -a soft lead pencil -2 types of glue, one thicker and one in a narrow-tipped bottle, both neutral Ph
-a small, flat edged, square painter’s brush for gluing
-a pair of small, high quality craftsman pliers with grip at the ends
-a glass mat
-a bone folder
-a 15 inch or longer, cork-backed, sturdy metal ruler
-needles for sewing leather
-waxed linen thread in black, brown and cream
-a pair of scissors
-a small mat knife

That’s basically it. As I got into making the kind of journals and books I create now, I added ultrasuede and leather to the list for tapes, but that’s actually about it, since I repurpose old books for covers. The great part about these supplies is that you can find them all at either www.dickblick.com or at www.hollanders.com, which is one of my favorite places to buy supplies, or even at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. For needles, I like the needles I find in the leather craft department best because the eyes are larger for accomodating the waxed thread but still narrow so they don’t make huge holes in the signature. Another plus is that beads often will fit over the narrower eyes if you want to bead the spine. Bookbinders needles are often too thin for me and can break, so I switched to the leather needles for the most part, and have them in several sizes and lengths. I do keep unwaxed linen thread on hand that has to be waxed before use, but is much thinner, and bookbinders needles for times when the holes must be extremely small. The metal ruler can serve as a quick and dirty ripping blade for to make torn edged pages, and the glass mat is one of the best things I ever bought. You cut on it, measure on it, pour glue on it to use with a brush, and apply paste or glue for endpapers on it, but at the end of the day, all you have to do is wash it off. Plus its very environmentally friendly because you can use it forever :) Oh, and paper…reams of it, if you’re making journals. Recycled, decorated, scrap, whatever your heart’s desire, as long as you have enough to make as many signatures as you want your book to have, and you are ready to roll.

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Want to try Bookbinding?: What's in my toolkit

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:52:01 -0400

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All Papered Up and a Giveaway

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:16:37 -0400

I love old paper. I really do. I have used it for everything from covering journals to making the jewelry tags that I use for the shop, and I never thought I would have enough. Until I started bookbinding. Now I have an abundance of antique paper, in every shade and size, making it the perfect paper for mixed media, collage, journaling, and wrapping. Its too perfect to hoard, so I am sharing it in bundles of 100 pages in my shop. You can find the first listing here-

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51933665/antique-book-pages-bundle-100-sheets

and I plan on adding some themed bundles and some smaller ones as well. I got into recycling book covers as a way of saving books that were close to or already falling apart, and I would love for the text pages to find a new life as well. Some of them are so cool-! Giveaway DETAILS
In fact, I think these are so cool that I am going to give a bundle away to a lucky person chosen from the comments below by Random.com. Tell me what your favorite use is for an old book page by leaving a comment on this post between today (Jul 20) and midnight, Wed (JUL 21)and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a 100 page bundle. Its that simple. Please make sure that I have a way to contact you in case you win, either via email, Etsy convo, etc :) May the craziest paper addict win ;)

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New Journals

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:05:49 -0400

I was thrilled (and a little overwhelmed) by the postive response to my recycled book journals. This is truly something that I love doing, and it is my plan to continue adding them regularly to the shop. I have listed three new ones tonight, including one using cover boards from a very rare 1878 book that I really love, which you can see here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/51449155/reclaimed-vintage-book-art-journal

and an incredibly happy journal in some seriously bright colors, here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/51451752/reclaimed-vintage-book-art-journal I will be posting some eco-friendly bookbinding explorations tomorrow that i had a lot of fun doing, using ideas from Terry Taylor’s cool book Eco-Books. I will also share some more journals, so stay tuned. And thanks so much for all the postive comments and encouragement!

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New Journals

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:39:08 -0400

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Introducing Vintage Book Journals

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:41:20 -0400

I absolutely fell in love with bookbinding and journal-making, and it didn’t take me long to realize that I wanted to keep making them, so I have launched a line of journals for the shop that uses reclaimed vintage books. I do the whole book by hand, from cutting the books apart (carefully!) to sewing and binding them, and I really love the fact that I am able to save these gorgeous book covers and give them a new life. I am researching sources for renewable paper, too, and hope to eventually use recycled paper for the interiors. The tapes may be vintage ribbon, sturdy paper, or reclaimed suede from a purse manufacturer that is gorgeous stuff. Of the pics below, the Art Nouveau Blue Book can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50556512/reclaimed-ornate-vintage-book-art and the red one here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50555074/reclaimed-vintage-book-art-journal The Our Lady of Guadeloupe journal is spoken for, but I will be listing a couple of others this week, and would love to custom create one. The sky really is the limit here, and my plan is to keep them reasonably priced and one of a kind. So that’s all my news, and its all pretty exciting. I am buried up to my eyes in papers, boards, suede, and a bunch of new jewelry to list, so hopefully I will be getting caught up in the next week or so!

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Introducing Vintage Book Journals

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:36:33 -0400

The Our Lady of Guadeloupe journal is spoken for, but I will be listing a couple of others this week, and would love to custom create one. The sky really is the limit here, and my plan is to keep them reasonably priced and one of a kind. So that’s all my news, and its all pretty exciting. I am buried up to my eyes in papers, boards, suede, and a bunch of new jewelry to list, so hopefully I will be getting caught up in the next week or so!

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Bound-Attempting to Make My Own Art Journal

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:52:56 -0400

I’m a journaling nut, and what I usually do to journals via paint and all kinds of mixed media puts serious stress on whatever poor book I am working in at the time. I like Piccadilly blank books for their size and their hard covers, but they are getting harder to find, and moleskines just don’t seem to have the same stability. It was time, I decided, to learn to bind my own journals. As intimidating as it seemed, I loved the idea of being able to customize papers and create the feel and flow of the book before I even put anything into it. LK Ludwig’s new art journaling book, Creative Wildfire, was just the push I needed- there’s lots of good instructions in it, including one for this binding-super easy, amazingly flexible, and just about perfect for whatever journaling you want to do, since it lays flat. It was also fun :) So much fun, I am seriously thinking about making a bigger one! About the book:
This 5.5 x 7 journal has a ” sewn over tapes” exposed binding, and I used fairly strong linen which I frayed before binding and gluing. The covers are actually 7 gypsies book boards that I already had, but I think I will be using rescued boards for my next one. I wanted the book to look old, frayed, and much loved, as the title and theme of it is Journeying. So covers, page edges, and tapes were all aged and scuffed with sanding, walnut ink, some weathered wood ink from Tim Holtz, and several layers of matte medium and glue. I used Hollander’s bookbinder’s PVA as a resist in patches on the covers to give them a worn look. Sealed with 3 coats of varnish, sanded in between to cut down on stickiness. The hand beaded decoration on the cover is a vintage piece from India. Ridiculously excited about how this turned out :D Especially for a first attempt. And really pleased with LK Ludwig’s instructions on crafting your own journal- she made it doable and very non-scary!

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Bad Hair Days

Tue, 11 May 2010 15:31:33 -0400

I got started making bobby and hair pins while growing my own hair out late last summer. I couldn’t find what I wanted, and so I designed some that definitely saved me on those days when my hair was frankly, well, scary ;) What started out as a couple of extra sets I made as a kind of one-time thing has grown into lots of requests and interest, so I’ve been stocking some new pairs over the last few weeks. Many of these are currently listed in the store, and some can even be recreated, depending on the materials I used. I’ve done pairs for bridesmaids and brides, as well, so if you see something you love but can’t find it in the store, drop me a line or convo and I will see what I can do! :)Kristen

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Sultry Nights- A Treasury of One of a Kind Elegance

Tue, 11 May 2010 08:58:31 -0400

I love finding beautiful things that are a little different, unique, or a less common color than the usual. Here is my latest collection of favorite things, inspired by my fav color as a child- purple. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4be952f2d0198eef332cc168/sultry-nights?sort=hotn…

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Coming Up For Air-and a SALE!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:04:27 -0400

Wow, been a long two weeks, but I am finally coming up for air with lots of new goodies to share! Some of the pics below are in the shop now, some are coming, and some are headed to Necessary ExTRAVAgance in Chicago. I am also excited to have a featured project on www.bsueboutiques.com. I love B’Sue’s components, as they are always so high quality, and I am really pleased to be on her site. The project should be up in the next week or two, and I will post a link when it goes up!
If you love making your own jewelry, I really like B’Sue’s newsletter, too. It always has interesting information, projects, ideas, and the like, unlike a lot of the ones I have seen! And I have saved the best news for last- Through Thursday, the 22nd, I am running an Earth Day Sale in connection with the EtsyTwitter Team’s Go Green Event. Get 15% off of purchases of $25 or more until midnight Thursday. I am listing new goodies all week, so now’s your chance to get that piece you’ve had your eye on, or just brighten up your week with some new hairpins ;)

I think that’s all the news, and i will be Earthweek Tips and More tomorrow! Kristen

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Creating Unique Jewelry- Video from B'Sue of B'SuesBoutiques.com

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:58:54 -0400

via youtube.com

A quick and interesting look at some jewelry techniques and introduction to creating unique pieces using beads, brass, etc.

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Inspired

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:51:14 -0400

While I haven’t had time to post all the beauties from the last few days of creating a Thing a Day, i have found myself bubbling over with ideas for new pieces. Most of these will soon be in my shop, if they aren’t already, while a few will be heading for Chicago and Necessary ExTravagance- I have found the challenge of creating something every day has given me a real boost, creativity-wise, which is NOT what I expected :) I am going to continue doing it thru the end of the month, and then I guess we’ll see… Hope you all are having a relaxing weekend :)

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Great Teesha Moore Art Journaling Video

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:49:58 -0400

via youtube.com

I thought it was really interesting watching some of the techniques that Teesha uses to begin her art journals.

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Facebook Fan Giveaway #etsytwitter

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:58:06 -0400

I am giving away this lovely bracelet to a random fan of my Facebook Page on Friday, March 19, 2010. I will be using randomizer.com to choose the winner, so become a fan and don’t miss out!

http://www.facebook.com/firebirdhousedesigns

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Handmade Weddings Guide

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:37:04 -0400

Having a wedding, in a wedding or just need a great gift for a wedding? Check out the IndieSpotting Handmade Weddings Guide! I so wish I had access to the great handmade items out there now for brides when I got married 10 years ago! Bride envy :) And giving a handmade, one of a kind gift is a very special way to celebrate.

Check it out here-

http://www.myshoppingconnection.com/indiespotting/current-features/weddings-2010.php

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The LXD: In the Internet age, dance evolves ...

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:25:22 -0400

via ted.com

so cool and unusual! I love dance and these guys do the incredible-

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Treasure Hunting

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:10:45 -0400

This weekend started out with some rare ( at least lately :)) sunshine, so we decided on the spur of the moment to visit some favorite treasure hunting spots in Dillard, GA, a small town nestled in the Southern end of the Appalachian mountains, about an hour and 45 minutes from Atlanta. The people in Dillard are always so nice and the scenery is beautiful. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it was overcast and raining, so I didn’t take any pictures. There are several antique malls and shops on both sides of 441, and they are usually stuffed full of all kinds of great finds.

And wow, did we find!

From some awesome feedsacks to a couple of blooming hankies, foreign coins, and a watch key fit for the White Rabbit, I found all kinds of treasures just waiting to be altered and upcycled into new creations. I think treasure hunting is one of the things I love most about what I do! There’s just something really special about seeing all the work that has gone into an old quilt, or wondering what the woman was like who’s delicate initial “S” was so intricately embroidered on a silk handkerchief.

Finding new, cool stuff always sends my passion for creating and designing into overdrive, so I am sure there will be a bunch of new goodies this week to see and enjoy in store. I have several more quilt remnant pillows to share, and a couple of great wedding gift ideas for the spring weddings no doubt popping up on your calendar the way they are popping up on mine.

Hope you had a great weekend!

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