Happy Halloween!

Tomorrow's Halloween, my favorite holiday! I'm still deciding what I'll dress up as for the two parties I'll be attending (post-event photos to follow). In the meantime, I couldn't resist sharing these fabulous shoes with you. 

Miss Bunny takes gently used shoes and upcycles them into one-of-a-kind creations. 

Check out these love/hate wedges in apple red. Wouldn't they just be spectacular with a vintage pin-up girl outfit? I'm picturing a pair of short shorts and a cute blouse, along with a swanky 19040s hairdo.

And then there are these blood-spattered shoes with razor blades on them. Perfect for that gory nurse outfit! 

Miss Bunny also made some bat heels that'll make you flip. I'm thinking they'd look great with an understated black strapless dress, some black opera-length gloves, and a little black hat with a veil. 

Well, I hope all of you have equally smashing costumes to wear. My guess is that if you're reading this blog, you probably have the creative costuming bug in you.

Have a fabulous Halloween!

What will $10 buy today?

The cool books I bought at the fall Friends of the Library sale
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

For me, $10 bought some pretty cool books at my local Friends of the Library book sale. A friend suggested I start posting some of my cool thrift-store finds, so here's the first post in this vein.

I stopped at the book sale on my way home, ignoring my co-workers' advice that I should go home and rest my sprained ankle. What? And miss good loot? Not on your life. Besides, my ankle's only as big as a baseball. It's not like it's anything serious.

The risk to my personal health paid off because I scored a number of books, including these standouts that I plan to use parts of in crafty collages:

+ "Walt Disney's Annette: Sierra Summer" by Doris Schroeder (1960)
+ "Menaboni's Birds" by Athos and Sara Menaboni (1950)
+ "Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States" by Edward Howe Forbush (1929) -- three-volume set

I bought the "Annette" book because I couldn't resist the charming aqua and pink color scheme. I mean, look at how the pink in the illustrations pops against the turquoise on the edges of the pages!



And it's hard for me to resist bird books. For one, my Grandma Gerry had a thing for birds. I remember how the guest room my sister and I stayed in had an Audubon print over each of the neatly made twin beds. My friend and fellow blogger, Heidi, also loves bird books, so I'm always on the lookout for goodies I can share with her.

The "Menaboni's Birds" book has large and beautiful full-color plates. Check out this beautiful boat-tailed grackle:



And the three-volume "Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States" set is just amazing. Not only is it a complete set that dates back to 1929, it's also chock full of beautiful black-and-white illustrations and color plates. Seems almost a shame to cut it up for collage. I could always photocopy the images I want to use, but like most artists, I'll probably never get around to it.

But anyhow, here are a few of the cool images from the book:







And for the record, I also scored a pair of crutches for $3 from the thrift store next door to the book sale. My co-workers insist that I should "rest my ankle." I checked WebMD once I got home. Apparently if I can walk on it without pain, then that's a good sign and I don't need crutches. But hey, now I have them in case I ever need them.

Easy Art!

Easy Art!
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

If you're looking for some affordable new art to hang on your wall, look no further than your napkin drawer. A number of manufacturers are making paper napkins that are so beautiful they're almost art. All you need to do is attach a napkin to a canvas, add a few finishing touches, and you'll have a new masterpiece.

What you need:

+ Napkin
+ Canvas
+ Paint
+ Paint brush
+ Scissors
+ Gel medium
+ Embellishments

What to do:

1) Artsy gift stores and galleries often stock unique cocktail napkins so look there for a napkin that suits your artistic taste. Then visit your local art supply store and buy a canvas that's slightly bigger than your napkin. If you'd like to pay homage to Andy Warhol, you can repeat four images on one canvas--just buy a larger canvas. Assemble your supplies.



2) Paint the edges of the canvas using a color that coordinates with the napkin and let dry. (Tip: Use an old phone book to protect your work surface and you'll have a clean surface each time you turn the page.)



3) Trim the napkin to fit the canvas and attach using gel medium. Then add a top coat of gel medium.



4) Attach a few embellishments to add depth and texture--a used postage stamp, a few beads to act as a necklace and earrings, and a word from a vintage dictionary. You're done! Hang your new art on the wall and enjoy.

Remember that the artwork on these napkins is copyrighted, so don't try selling these canvas creations on Etsy or eBay!

This tutorial originally appeared in the October issue of The Satellite.

Unexpected finds in Oregon

Giddy with delight at yard sale finds
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

I must be having a streak of good thrift karma. I recently traveled to Oregon to look at plants but somehow I stumbled across a few unexpected craft goodies.

I flew to Portland two weeks ago for the Garden Writers Association conference. Forgive me for the delay in blogging--I picked up a cold while traveling and it slowed me down.

As part of the conference, we went on tours of a number of private and public gardens. Little did I know that there would be a surprise waiting for me at the first stop on the first tour. A yard sale!

My traveling companions Erin and Emily knew I'd make a beeline for it once I spotted it. But I summoned up as much willpower as I could and walked right by the garage sale to tour the garden. I ended up with tons of great photos of that garden and many others (I'm the unofficial photographer for the office).

Of course, you can already tell from the photo that I also squeezed in a little time to stop at the yard sale. How could I resist? I have such a weakness for yard sales, especially if they hold the promise of wool sweaters. And since Portland is known for cool and wet winters, the forecast held a good chance of sweaters. Indeed! I scored two merino wool sweaters--my favorite types, second only to cashmere--which I'll use in upcoming craft projects.

Who knows what crafty goodness might be waiting for you around the next turn in the road!