Reader Giveaway

Reader Giveaway

14 Days of Love is back for a holiday edition, and today is my turn to give! You all know how much I love to make books with Blurb.  Here's your chance to try it yourself.  Enter to win a $150 gift card to make a beautiful photo book of your family, cook up your own book of recipes,  or dream up your own story... a great gift or keepsake.  All you have to do is enter below. NOW CLOSED

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Wooden Bookmarks

Wooden Bookmarks

I'll be teaming up with my friends at Blurb again, this time at the Brit+Co conference/festival Re:Make where I'll be leading a book craft at their booth. This part of the event features some incredibly creative makers showcasing textiles, housewares, jewelry and print work.  I had that in mind when I mocked up a few bookmarks made from ultra-thin sheets of birch plywood to test as a craft that festival goers can make while checking out what Blurb has to offer. They need to be easy, but they have to be good.  So here they are. Some are embroidered, some painted. I like the idea of gift giving a good book and a handmade bookmark; it's simple and thoughtful. I still read real books, because I like the weight and the way the paper feels in my hands, plus they make great coasters...

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A Little Something

A Little Something

I will be headed on the first plane out of Oakland tomorrow morning to join in on the festivities at Alt Summit in Salt Lake City.  This will be my second time at the conference, and I get to go with Blurb, so I'm feeling pretty calm considering I don't know anyone really all that well.  I found the right dress to wear to the "Green" party, I've got my outfits packed, my seminars picked out (this will be the year of video!) and I finally seem to have kicked my wicked stomach bug.  After I hit the publish button on my last post, I stood up, got super sick, and went to bed for 20 hours.  I didn't know if I'd be able to get this one last thing done, but sitting and painting is actually really relaxing. Along with my business cards, I will also be handing out these little painted birch magnets as little takeaway to remember my blog by. I wanted to do something that would relate to my new book, which features projects that re-imagine simple materials into something useful and pretty.  To make your own follow the tutorial below. See you at Alt?  Come say hi! My name is Heather, and  I look like the silly girl up top without the paper crown and glasses.  

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Alt Bound

Alt Bound

So I've been sitting on something kind of big for a few weeks... Blurb is taking me to Alt Summit as their brand ambassador! I had originally decided to sit the conference out, I couldn't get my hands on a ticket, and when more became available the expense and time away seemed overwhelming, so I didn't pull the trigger. Around the time that I was working with Blurb on my video interview and the cook book author's food fair, I made it be known that I wanted to collaborate with them in some way for the conference. As a veteran attendee and a featured Blurb author, I thought I might have something unique to offer. Alt is all about honing your skills as a blogger and learning how to work with brands, and since I'd connected with Blurb last year we've really clicked. They took me up on it, and now I am also happy to announce that I just finished up my second book, in time for the conference at the end of the month where I'll be their featured author during their brand sponsored mini-party.  In this new book I showcase the work I've done over the last year or so using ordinary materials, re-imagined into something more permanent and beautiful.  It's called "Making A Modern Homestead".  Here's a sneak peek. 

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Being Julia

Being Julia

As I can't imagine I will ever have a film crew in my home again, unless I win Publisher's Clearing House, if that's still a thing, I'm sharing some pictures from the day that Blurb came to Petaluma and taped an interview and cooking segment with me. It was a real life Julia Child moment. The video is part of a marketing piece for their recent Food Fair in San Francisco to promote their cookbook authors. I snapped a few photos in between filming...

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