still dottie tutorials of 2008

a round up of my 2008 tutorials. craft your way into the new year - i'll see you on friday.

fabric stitched notecards
high-waisted, button-front skirt
wine cork trivet & board
birch forest felt wall hanging
makeup brush carrier
feather & flower headband tutorial
flower cluster
holiday garland

here are some from 2007 but oh so popular:
smock apron

embroidered throw pillows
teapot cozie

charley harper notepad tutorial

found via craft: - these notepads made from a charley harper memory game are the cutest things ever. i'm putting this on my to do list; you can find the full tutorial here.

happy holidays

another snowy day here in seattle - what a wonderful way to spend the holidays - nustled up, eating, drinking coffee on the couch, reading some david sedaris, watching movies & spending time with friends & family or taking walks along snowpacked sidewalks all bundled up in your wooly cape, big cap & mittons.

i miss home on days like today, but feel grateful for the wonderful place i've created here in seattle. to all of my friends back in michigan, living on the east coast, in cali or across the ocean - happy holidays, i love you all very much. to my family in michigan - i miss you greatly, you will be in my heart as usual. i'm off until the 29th - happy holidays, enjoy the company you keep & the place you call home.

photo courtesy of the lovely miss olivia bee.

favorite adds of 2009

i'm amazed at the community here in bloggerland - i've made some fantastic connections, gotten oodles of inspiration, discovered new artists & found great resource upon great resource. today, i'd like to share my personal faves of the year - the blogs & sites i try to get to daily, weekly or as often as humanly possible (in no particular order). here is my little collection of must reads.

design blogs:

black*eiffel - clean, fun design inspiration. rachel has a wonderful sense of style.

how about orange - jessica is on top of it. she posts tutorials, crafts, time-wasters & design inspiration.

please sir - diana finds the things no one else is; quirky, beautiful inspiration.

sfgirlbybay - victoria was one of the first blogs i read daily. love love love, that's all.

the bedlam of beefy - one of my local faves. your uncle has some beautiful posts & a great personality.

treasuring - jess gonacha finds the best indie artists & loves to share her gorgeous patterns.

whorange - i met tula at a design lab this year, she's the cutest ever & her blog is fun of fun, kitschy design.

pacific standard - strath keeps it personal most of the time, but his collection of album covers, small town photography & design inspiration make my day.

bliss - she hearts the most gorgeous stuff.

design for mankind - erin is a master, she has the most thorough, original posts out there. don't forget to check out mankind mag!

{frolic!} - styling & inspiration at it's best, chelsea posts daily love.

coco+kelley - we have a different general aesthetic, but her collection of luxury is out of control - interiors & fashion.

creature comforts - out of control, ez finds & posts everything a girl could want to see or own.

crafty love:

the small object steno pad - cute, kitschy ideas for everyday

craft: - great collection of tutorials & inspiration

whip up - again, a thorough collection of what's happening in the crafty world

etsy - because all sorts of wonderful artists & crafters are here, selling their work to you.

graphic design/illustration/photography:

design you trust - user fed blog, most posts are new & gorgeous finds

form fifty five - 30 collabos, beautiful design & illustration.

drawn! - yup, illustration

quipsologies - quick links to everything in the world of graphic design

smashing magazine - resource upon resource upon resource

veer - the skinny - general posts about everything awesome

other:

the stranger - ummmm do you want to know what's going on in seattle or no?

there are so many other places bookmarked, places i wish i visited more often, but i decided to post my real situation. these are my faves - these are the blogs i read when i'm living in the real world. maybe sometime soon i'll give you the deep, i need to find some crazy inspirations, i'm redecorating or what should i be wearing these days blogs.

image courtesy of hownowdesign.

sos fundraising

i remember having the chance to get to the hills at least once a week when i was young. i was lucky; challenging myself both mentally & physically through skiing & snowboarding as a kid shaped the woman i am becoming. please help me provide the same opportunity to pacific nw kids without the same privileges many of us had or have.

through snow sports and a core value curriculum, sos is helping youth make better decisions, grow in their self confidence and make long lasting connections with adults and their peers. sos isn’t so much about being on snow as it is about teaching kids life skills. please support me and sos by donating to this worthy cause.

it costs sos approximately $250 to provide five days of programming to youth in need in the introductory learn to ride/ski program, and it costs $380 to serve one participant in the university program.

i will be riding with kids once a week for five weeks starting in february & would love to have your support in reaching more kids; please visit my fundraising page to easily donate online.

image from volcanojw.

found winter

it's been a crazy few days here is seattle - in fact - it's a winter wonderland. i didn't do much searching for design, art or music this weekend, but i did find lots of time to play in the snow & get into the holiday spirit. i made me & the girls some elf ears* for santarchy & we painted the town red, literally. yesterday i spent some time on my snowboard, hitting up volunteer park, galer at 16th & denny way. it is just surreal to be in this snowglobe of a city. i hope all of you here are enjoying (have enjoyed) this as much as i am!

*to make the ears i simply cut two pairs of flesh colored felt, stitched a quick detail on the top piece of both ears, then sewed the edges together leaving an inch opening for batting. once they were stuffed, i closed em up with a straight stitch. after that i cut a slit on each ear for a clip barette to slide into or cut two parrallel slits to slide a headband through. if you decide to make some - make sure to reinforce with hot glue! i hope you enjoy my santa on the bottom, elf on the top shot.

music to listen to - my fave albums of 2008

i've had a fantastic year in music. with the help of people & media that surround me, i've been able to find a library of music that takes me from naps on my couch to walks to the bus, cooking in the kitchen to cutting a rug on the dance floor & sewing up a storm to cutting leaf after leaf of felt.

band name links to band site, album name links to amazon (or last.fm) for purchasing purposes.

mgmt - oraculer spectacular
upbeat music that still makes you think about your life & where you happen to be at the moment.

emily jane white - dark undercoat
i discovered this through the fader podcast, she has such a sweet & haunting voice.

small sins - mood swings
fun beats, random lyrics - feel good music.

yeasayer - all hour symbals
this music feels like a sunny day, driving down a 2 track road to get to the beach in mexico.

the gossip - standing in the way of control
cow bell & powerful vocals make for a great pump up album.

she & him - volume one
coffee, a good book or magazine & a fireplace go best with this album.

grand ole party - humanimals
this album contains great stories that are told with each song - powerful female drummer.

lykke li - youth novels
i first discovered her opening for el pero del mar - she has such great energy with a bit of mystery that shows in her album.

thao - we brave bee stings & all
fun music to bop your head to.

cat power - jukebox
slow & lustful, the perfect album for crafting in your living room.

wale - 100 miles & running mixtape
dc rapper - great lyrics, nice easy flow.

santogold - self-titled
first labeled as the next m.i.a. - this album stretches further. great music to workout to or get ready for a night out to.

estelle - shine
love love her lover. here music is so energizing & soulful; her style has been an inspiration.

friendly fires - self-titled
more cow bell, lots of european energy. the perfect album to get your dancing legs warmed up.

bon iver - for emma, forever ago
haunting, emotional & beautiful. skinny love took my breath away.

little dragon - self-titled
sultry voice & a pulsing beat. this album is oh so sexy.

school of seven bells - alpinisms
again - sultry, haunting voices over music that feels like racing heartbeats.

little joy - self-titled
perfect music for a sunny afternoon sitting on a front porch.

favorite music sources:
kexp blog
fader & f2 podcast

photo by bricolage.108.

snow day!

i'm taking the day off to play in the snow & watch movies.

photo by tassytassy.

etsy wednesday

the warmers from oklahoma-based designer ozetta are killer! i want a big ole bear for myself; prices range from $40 - $80.

add it to the blogroll

formfiftyfive is a daily collection of the best graphic design, photography, motion graphics & illustration by 30+ contributors. it's on my everyday read list.

matt stuart

this is my new favorite picture. taken by london street photographer, matt stuart.

image via smashing.

still dottie branding & website

the end of the year is nearing & i'm hoping that i can get as much crossed off my 2008 to do list. where are we at?



still dottie identity & website: maybe you noticed that my header changed a while back? that is one of the main identity pieces for the still dottie empire & now i'm excited to announce a website to build on. special thanks to miss natalie gordon.

art class: well, no fine arts class but i found a great place to learn new drawing techniques with illustrator at luminous works & i would recommend it to anyone. it was a comfortable environment & really informative.

crossed off:
going somewhere warm for my birthday
baking red velvet cake
cleaning my walk-in closet
sewing a dress from a pattern
taking on a new physical activity
upping the furniture hunt with craigslist finds
bedroom redecoration
inspiration referencing (i got a large steel basket with green hanging folders)

still working & thinking & hoping:
european travel - tentatively scheduled for 2009

i'm getting excited to make the 2009 to do list now. also, keep your eye out for my year in summary posts coming soon.

i heart rummage - dec 21

here is a quick preview of the goods (i'll also have my flower rings, desk calendars & fabric stitched notecards that you can find at my etsy shop) i'll have at i heart rummage on sunday, dec 21 from noon to 4 at chop suey. come see me, enjoy the live dj & support your local artists!

flower posts, $6; linen flower clusters - broach & hair piece, $12; silky flower headbands, $12; silky flower hair pieces, $12.

found art

bart & i headed over to ballard yesterday to check out the new installations at okok & 20twenty (& hit up joann fabrics). i hadn't read what was at okok before heading over, but was pleasently surprised by ethan rose's site specific audio piece. he was getting ready to film, but they let us take a peak in before closing for the day. a hundred plus electric powered music boxes fill the space with sweet, perfectly composed sounds - i couldn't help but stand in the middle of the room & close my eyes. it's worth a visit for sure.





i've mentioned christopher hansen a couple times in the past month or so; imagine my happiness to visit his photo show at 20twenty. his series of photos titled "dear friends" is such a beautiful look into the people closest to him. stop in, pick up a sweet vintage sweater or boots & enjoy his work.

music to listen to

i have had a couple solid months of good music finds; each week i seem to be amazed with the love that these artists shoot through my body. this time is no different, the first time i heard of bon iver was the street collabo with lykke li seen here. last week a co-worker mentioned him again & this time it stuck. bon iver's for emma, forever ago is such a beautiful album & every track sends chills. so much emotion, all without feeling sad or sappy - my kind of upbeat ballads.

charmingwall

i've had this in my still dottie bookmarks for some time, but today is it's day... charmingwall. charmingwall is a new york gallery & online shop curating fine art prints (ranging from traditional to comic book art) for our benny. aside from having a fun & pretty website, they sell a fantastic assortment of artists' prints for $20 such as:


andrew bannecker


bailey saliwanchik


devon kelley-yurdin


fred chao


rachel j. cox

i love a nice chair, they catch my eye & make me want to sit down. here are some that you should have. 1. mid-century metal chair, $90. i love the frame & the color of the cushions. it seems like the perfect chair for a white & grey bedroom. 2. molded plywood, eames side chairs, $600. simply stated, i'd trade every chair i have for these. 3. mid-century side chairs, $60. i'm a sucker for that black vinyl & a geometric frames. 4. navy blue, leather wingback chair & ottoman, $120. ok ok, i might buy this.

etsy wednesday

vintage boots, vintage boots, how i love you so. check out manny's vintage boots for a killer selection at decent prices.

holiday garland

last week i mentioned making & hanging a holiday garland; i loved the multi-colored leaves from miesmama. i purchased some felt to make stockings & decided to take a little off the top for garlands (the equivilant of 12" x 24" sheet). i created 4, 3" x 12"sheets & layered them in pairs. from those pairs of felt, i cut strips measuring 3" x 1"-1.5". after cutting out around 40 leaves of each 4 colors, i got out the sewing machine. using a wide, straight stitch i sewed a line down each leave, overlapping just a bit at the tips. i found that lifting the foot as you add each leaf works the best & leaving extra thread on each end allows you to create hoops for hanging.

add it to the blogroll

greedy girl, "is a catalog of smart, well-designed and inspiring finds from around the world and the web" that you should definitely check out. i think she's got style.

marc jacobs daisy

i am really enjoying the marc jacobs daisy print advertising, such warm colors & a young, feminine feel. the project was led by creative director, deb aruta; photographer, juergen teller & designer, wilhelm liden of viit design.

found art

i spent part of my sunday afternoon in south lake union. the trip was mainly to pick up some hunter wellies from rei, but ended up taking us into velocity & snowboard connection. after browsing a bit, oggling nixon watches & volcom bags, bart pointed out a college above the shoes. the piece is subtle amongst all the good stuff they have in there, but once you notice it, you can't stop. it looks to be a collection of regional artists including spacecraft, i'm hoping to hunt down the list today & will keep you updated.

sometimes i wish

i was looking at youngna park's portfolio thanks to please sir & i couldn't help but think, "what if i had one really solid talent, love, skill, passion?" what would life be like? would i excel at that one thing, so much that it paid the bills in a big way or would i have to work a day job that i dreaded, so that i could afford to buy that really nice camera, paint set, handsaw?

i wish that i only took photos so that i could spend every free moment learning about lighting, styling & after effects.

i wish that i only designed interior spaces so that i could spend my days flipping through product magazines, learning about the latest & greatest fabrics & materials & finding lovely pieces at flea markets & small shops.

i wish i could spend all day as a print designer & printer so that i could know every font, color swatch, style & every influentual man/woman to be in the industry. i'd spend my time making kitschy prints & pulling ink over them.

i wish i was an illustrator. i'd spend my evenings with a sketchbook telling stories through characters & chalked environments. i'd send my work to magazines & do editorial pieces.

i wish i was a full time crafter/diy specialist. i'd know where to find the best deals & how to embroider every stitch there was. i'd make priceless gifts for friends & family, maybe even write a book or two.

i wish i were a stylist & spent most of my time creating the perfect mood. i'd collect housewares & vintage shoes, aprons & furniture. i'd know the best places in town to do a shoot & just who to call when i need the right dress or suit.

again i'm reminded of what my parents used to always say, "you can wish in one hand & shit in the other. see which one fills up first."

music to listen to - double edition

the last couple of weeks have been very fruitful when it comes to music hunting; in fact, a lot of it has fallen into my lap. i decided to share two new artists with you this week. i really suggest that you give both a listen & a little bit of your heart.



first up is little joy. i picked up their self-titled album last week & it's been getting a lot of play, especially on these lovely weekend mornings. the group was formed by the strokes drummer, fabrizzio moretti & has such a sweet sound.



second we have department of eagles, they are brought to you today via strath at pacific standard. they have a new album out, in ear park, but i decided to grab the first one to start, the cold nose. give them a good listen here.

holiday decoration

i'm not going to over do it this year, but i would like to make my apartment cozie with a few accoutrements. i think i'll do some simple white lights in the window, this pink tinsel wreath, a felt garland or 2 (maybe i'll make?), some antique ornaments in a glass jar & since i'll be celebrating in seattle this year, 2 stockings for bart & i (i love a stocking). for all you single ladies & childless couples - how much do you decorate?

ornament image from tw collins, garland from miesmama.

new spaces - new things. it came up in the late summer & over the last couple of months bart & i have been thinking about our options. after looking at some larger 1 bedrooms, 2 bedroooms & thinking about the apartments we already live in, we decided to squeeze into his 650 (or so) square foot, 1 bedroom for a year or so. i have to say, we're both looking forward to saving some killer cash. as we move closer to cohabitation, i am thinking about items that would work for both of us & ways to store a lot of my sewing & crafting supplies.

stackable filing drawer, $50; ikea locker red & white, $50; paint this - storage shelf, $25; danish end table; $80.

etsy wednesday

get ready, set, go! has the cutest vintage luggage. some pieces are untouched while others have been upcycled in the best way. prices range from $30 - $100 for these lovely bags & sets.

add it to the blogroll

i found out about mer mag just yesterday; it's amazing how immersed one can be in this design blog world & miss such a wonderful space as hers. she featured my flower cluster tutorial yesterday among two other great embellishment ideas. you can expect a collection of all things beautiful from merrilee, the blogger, illustrator & designer with a great eye for color & texture.

found jeweler

i was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with angela of flora & fawn over this long (& lovely weekend). she hosted an intimate workshop & let us make a couple of enamel pendants. i was amazed by the process & have a new appreciation for jewelry makers; angela was so knowledgeable & a fantastic teacher. to learn more about how she makes her goods, visit her write up on the enameling process & if you'd like to pick up some of her beautiful jewelry, visit her website to find stores that sell the flora & fawn line.

to see pics of the workshop.