Oh, snap.

Sorry. Couldn't resist. Look at what Cyndi did with the snap project from Altered You! Quite an elegant take on a simple project. I think I'm going to scrounge around my work table and make some more of these! Love her blog, too -- "emptying landfills one project at a time! How great is that?

Win a copy of Altered You!

FaveCrafts is giving away a copy of Altered You! If you win, let me know, and I'll mail you a book plate. Good luck!

New Altered You review on Amazon

Altered You! just received another 5-star review on Amazon.com. What I love about this review is that this 40-something crafter is "altering" the projects and making them for herself. There really is something for everyone within the pages! Thanks for the awesome review, Julie.

And the winner is...

Shirin takes the top spot on Project Runway. I really loved her dress and the stitching detail made all the difference. I must say Haley & I named the top 3 and the bottom 3 this time, so there really weren't any surprises. It seems the editing is such that you really don't get a good feel for everyone, but it's hard with so many designers. I thought Ra'mon was on to something with his color-blocked dress, but once it got labeled as the bowling ball bag, there was no turning back. I see in his bio that he's a designer for Kohls and that dress had a very Kohls feel to it. I still like his idea, but it would take a very confident pregnant woman to wear it. And the egg? Creative but not realistic. And the look on Malvin's face told me he really thought he had the top design and had no idea why he was going home. With Malvin and Ari gone, it seems like quirky is out this season.

It was funny to see all the stick-thin models with these huge bumps. I know when I was expecting, it was more of an all-over effect. I don't think there was one dress last night that would have worked for me.

We're happy about the Models of the Runway after party show. It's been interesting to get to know the personalities a little. Don't you think Fatma is a little delusional?

Oh, and our winner is Jules, so email me your details and a copy of Altered You! will be on the way.

Martha and me? I don't think so...

Just saw Julie & Julia with one of my best food buddies. Loved it, loved it, loved it. All the reviews said it was too long -- we would have stayed for another hour. In fact, we had trouble leaving our seats, and shared a "it's over already?" exclamation when the credits began to roll. Of course we loved the food. I am suddenly craving boeuf bourguignon. And we loved the settings -- my friend is homesick for Europe, while I am missing the New York City scene (also missing my 30s, but that's another story). We loved the husbands. Whose was more endearing --Julie's or Julia's? And whose was more (ahem) hotter -- Julie's or Julia's? I don't have Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but I do have The Way to Cook. It's as good to read as it is to cook from. I really need to revisit it.

So will I be crafting along with Martha's tome, The Encyclopedia of Crafts? I don't think so. But will I rent the movie again next year when it's released on DVD? Absolutely.

PS Don't forget to enter my drawing for a copy of Altered You! in honor of Project Runway!

Virtual Book Signing

First, I'd like to thank all of you who've purchased my books, written reviews, or just given me a "thumbs up." It means so much to me :)

In honor of the nearly 1-year anniversary of my publication dates, I'm re-inviting all of you to my virtual book signing. Here's how it works: If you purchase Mostly Metals or Altered You! online, send me a quick e-mail or comment on this blog and I'll mail you a signed book plate. Also, if you've made any projects from the books, send me a pic -- I love to see what you're working on!

Wa-hoo!

Altered You! is #75 on Amazon's Top 100 List of non-fiction books for girls! Now, this list is updated hourly, so it might not be there when you check, but for now at 9:00am Central Time, I'm enjoying my moment. Just wanted to share...

Altered You Book Review

Check out this book review by Jean Yates. You'll have to scroll down, but enjoy her great pictures along the way. I love the way Jean found adult inspiration from this teen book -- and you can too! Don't forget about my virtual book signing. Let me know if you buy either of my books, and I'll send you a custom book plate.

Altered You Book Review

Here's a link to a great book review by Sharon Madson on her blog Adventures From the Sewing Studio. Thanks, Sharon! I'm excited to find another fun sewing blog to read. It looks like she's got some great ideas.

Altered You!

Today is the official "on sale" date for Altered You! Don't forget about my virtual book signing -- purchase a copy of either book, let me know via e-mail or this blog, and I'll send you a signed book plate.

Altered State?

Last night I had a dream that Altered You! was reviewed on NPR, and the host had a really hard time understanding the projects. So I called in (in my dream) and started to explain that altering things is kind of like cooking with cake mix -- you have the basic structure guaranteed without any hard work, but then you can have all the fun you want with the decorating. When I woke up, I thought, "hey -- that wasn't a bad analogy at all," and so I share it with you.

Come to my Virtual Book Signing!

It's easy! Just order Altered You! or Mostly Metals (or both). Send me an email (karinbuckingham@yahoo.com) or post on this blog and I'll send you a custom, signed book plate for your book. Thanks!!

A crafty day

Today was a great crafty day -- even better, it was an Altered You! day. First I did some errands including a stop at my local craft store. Much to my surprise, they had two copies of Altered You! on display. I offered to sign them, and then I showed them all projects in the book that used supplies from their store. How fun.

After errands, I sat down to craft. I ignored cleaning and all the nagging things calling to me, and set aside some time to just work. Here's what I made:

Warmup project #1 Hair jewelry. I found this project on the Bluelines website (don't even get me started on how much I miss that magazine and how sad I am that this is about the only thing Martha didn't succeed at). Here's the link to the project. Here are my versions, modeled by the lovely Meredith (don't you wish you had her hair??)

The first one is a vintage pearl button (sorry about the glare) and the second one is a faux gold JHB button.

Warm up project #2: My younger daughter received the cutest pair of pajamas (when she was seven) from her best friend. She has been wearing them ever since, and now she's 13! Needless to say, she finally busted through the hip seams and we thought all was lost. But wait! It's the perfect altering opportunity. Here's the before:

Note the flared capri leg... it comes in handy in a few minutes.

I cut one leg off at about mid thigh. I turned it inside out, and sewed a double seam across the bottom. Then, I turned what used to be the bottom of the leg over by half and sewed around. This made a perfect channel for a drawstring, and I only had to sew one seam. No turning edges. Then, turn the whole thing right side out, and run a ribbon through the channel. Here's the end result: She now has a cute drawstring bag to hold her hairbrush and comb for the next sleepover. I can't wait to give it to her when she comes home from band camp!

Now that I was all warmed up, it was time to really work. The first order of business was to take my jeans that were about and inch too short to be wearable and alter them up into a pair of summer capris. (This same project is in Altered You! to solve the growth spurt clothing problem.) I trimmed about 12 inches from the bottom, and added a border of fabric to cover the raw edge. Here I am, modeling my new creation:

What's next, you ask? Of course there's more. I was also having trouble with this great bag I picked up a few years ago at Urban Outfitters. I really had to have it. It spoke to me, and whispered how useful it would be on shopping trips, when I needed to stash small purchases, or for basketball games, when I needed to bring extra water bottles, or for whenever I needed some expandable space. I listened to it, and most likely paid more that I should. I carried it dutifully, but what happened was that as I walked, the bag would bounce and spin on my hip and before I knew it the rope handles had spun together and were slowly cutting off my circulation. Slave to fashion that I am, though, I continued to carry it despite the quite obvious design flaw. Here's the bag:

And here are some Martha Stewart kitchen towels from Kmart (love, love, love Martha, except for that Blueprint/Bluelines thing).


And, here's my solution to the spinning rope handles:

Have you had enough? Thanks for letting me share. Now, I better get those chores done.

Altered You Preview

Altered You is on its way to the printer -- at least it's in production and will leave the building very soon. Here's a little preview of one of the bonus projects:
These fun-to-make lunch bags are so easy. Just use a paper bag (carefully opened flat) as your pattern. Apply contact paper to wrapping paper, fold, and glue the seams (full instructions and a pattern appear in the book). The plastic grommets are from the curtain department. They're much easier to use than metal grommets for this project. Add some colorful ribbon, and you're good to go! You can pre-order Altered You right now at Amazon, or you can wait and find it in bookstores this July. Happy Crafting!