Bunny book finished!

Finally finished the tape-bound bunny book.

Anton Turns Three!

On Wednesday, Anton will officially be three years old. We celebrated last night with dinner and singing and presents at our place with Nanny & Baba. He got a street sweeper from us and said when opening it, "snuggle street sweeper." Mom and Dad got him a sandbox that he's playing in right now. He ate cake for the first time and loved it. Last night he woke up at 4am, nudging us out of bed to go downstairs to play with all his new trucks and toys. Finally went back to sleep with some tears (I was flooded with my own xmas eve memories as a child.)

Really fun to see him "get the birthday thing." Next year will be even more of a blast! I'll bring cupcakes to his class for lunch on Wednesday and we'll sing again. So excited!

Here are a bunch of photos. Enjoy!

Teacups

Here's a nifty idea I'd forgotten reading about months ago. I'd read it in some funky magazine on how to organize the impossible, etc.

Open up your top dresser drawer and fill it with the little teacups you never use (I'm a big hearty chunky coffee mug person and these darling vintage teacups were gathering dust in my kitchen for years!)

This is a great way to organize your jewelry or sewing gear. Hang your earrings over the lips of each cup and they're visible at every angle.

I wish this were my idea but I can't take credit for it. Pass it on!

Binders Workshops

It's official friends! Sign up now online for one of these fun workshops at Binders I'll be teaching this Fall in October and November.

Nuther Collapsable Container

Here's a larger collapsible container we'll be learning how to make at the Binders Giftmaking workshop this Fall!

Marvelous Exhibition

This Secret Belgian bound book has a beautiful horse on the cover from a 1940's children's coloring book. Yummy!

Just a couple more

Even More BitterSweet cards

Fall Bookmaking & Calligraphy Classes at Binders

Online signup for these classes available soon. Or call Binders to sign up over the phone.

More BitterSweet Cards

New Signature

To be added to the new and wonderful AnneElser.com when it's finished. My brilliant partner in crime - the brains behind the machine is Kevin Scarbrough of ThinBlackGlasses.com

Bitter Sweet

Bitter Sweet is a new product I'm developing. Custom made stationary sets of 20 cards packaged in a telescoping box. These happen to be a set of offensive statements for that special someone.

Binders Holiday Gift Making Workshops

Learn how to make cool handmade gifts this Holiday Season in two weekend holiday gift making workshops this Fall at Binders!

Taught by Anne Elser, these workshops are fast, fun and very rewarding. Come join us!

COLLAPSABLE CONTAINER:

October Saturday 17th: 10am-5pm

October Sunday 18th: 11am-5pm

$140.00

This container, designed by Lisa Ellerin, has six sides and a hinged base that enables it to fold flat. It's sturdy and lightweight and is made of 2-ply chipboard ( or davey board) and covered in decorative Washi Paper. All the supplies you need to make this structure can be purchased at Binders right before the workshop. We'll meet in the morning and break for lunch each day. Our workshops are fun and fast! Make a big one to hold pens/pencils, brushes or paper scraps. Make a tiny one for q-tips or hairpins! Make a set of 3 or more and nest them together on your work surface to make a "hive" of sorting containers. We'll have 2 full days to create your project and time permitting, we'll create a circular paper ornament and a miniature origami holiday tree.

I look forward to meeting you!

~Anne Elser

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BUTTON CLOSURE KEEPSAKE BOX:

November Saturday 7th: 10am-5pm

November Sunday 8th: 11am-5pm

$140.00

This little box is perfect for a man or woman looking to hold their favorite trinkets, stationary items, craft supplies, card decks and scoring pads, buttons, jewelry or cufflinks. The button closure is optional, as are the inner dividers. Build little feet for the bottom of your box as high as you like and tie it closed with any kind of elastic, leather, clasp or button. This box is very versatile. All the supplies you need to make this structure can be purchased at Binders right before the workshop. We'll meet in the morning and break for lunch each day. Our workshops are fun and fast! We'll have 2 full days to create your project and time permitting, we'll create a circular paper ornament and a miniature origami holiday tree.

I look forward to meeting you,

~Anne Elser

Workshop Supply list:

Binders:
1. Lineco® medium-duty awl
2. Lineco® bone folder (sm or med)

3. Davy Board 1 sheet 30 x 41 or 2-ply chip board
4. Lineco® Neutral PH Adhesive (8 ounce bottle) or Sobo Glue
5. Washi paper: decocrative Japanese paper (used as cover paper and here's an example of one pattern I'm fond of: Cherry Blossom)

6. Mechanical pencil (makes the most precise marks)
7. Scissors, exacto knife and blades
8. Self-healing cutting mat (any size you like)
9. Flat Big Brush (stiff, cheap and springy!) (small or large: .5 to 1 inches wide) or a Lineco Glue Brush
10. Non-slip metal ruler (any size you’re comfortable with)

11. Waxed thread & binders needles.
Grocery Store:
12. Roll of wax paper
13. Ziploc container with lid: 2 cup (in which to put your glue mixture)
Bring from home:
14. Brick covered with paper (to weigh down your books as they dry flat)

Wee Dots

These little dots were left over from a project I'm working on.

Before I trashed them, I snapped some pictures. I think they're lovely just as they are.

Flapper

This wool will soon be turned into a new scarf called Flapper. It opens like horizontal blinds do and is from my new book of knitting patterns called Knitting New Scarves. Very excited about this one.

Get Dirty

Wonderful Poster and message!

The Purl Bee

Check out this darling knitting blog: The Purl Bee dot com.

Knitting New Scarves

This new book by Lynne Barr called Knitting New Scarves is AMAZING. What I love most is that the projects are so sculptural and use the most elemental stitches. They are a beautiful mixture of quirkiness and elegance and I'm really eager to begin one. I know this is an excellent book for me because I'm having trouble choosing my first project.

In my own work, when I "made a mistake" by over or under measuring for a book or box, there was always a way to work around the problem and solve it in a unique way. A way in which offered a new and distinctive innovation in my books, a different closing mechanism, a pocket to cover up bumps, a short sheet that became decorative on the spine, etc.

This knitter approaches her knitting classes the same way. Her students come with unique problems in their knitting and poof - she's got a solution for the problem which turns into a variation for another scarf pattern. I tell my students the same thing: "they weren't mistakes; they were opportunities."

And this new way of assessing mistakes, my friends, JUST happens to be part of the road to Enlightenment, too.

Impossible Taco Pie

Got this from my friend Donna and it's quick, easy and tasty. Anton loves it.