fancy a bookcover ?

or maybe two ?



So last monday was not only world book day, but also marked the 2nd year I've started writing here. And because I'm me, I totally forgot. I actually thought it was later in the month, so it just goes to show you how terrible I am with dates.

To redeem myself, and because I'd like to thank you for having the time and patience to come here and read these ramblings, I've made two more of the new covers to give away (one is mass paperback size, the other is trade paperback/portuguese book size)



Not without a price, though .. oh no, you must do something for me in return. Something quite simple. Just leave a comment here with a book recommendation for me, preferably a book that you've enjoyed recently (or not so recently, but that you think I might find interesting). You see, I'm having a very disappointing year when it comes to reading (where have all the good books gone ?) and think it's time to change that. I'll draw two names sometime next week and will announce them here.



If you win one, you won't get it until I've returned from Brazil, though. I'm flying to S. Paulo again on business next Sunday, and will only be back a couple of weeks after. Yesterday, taking advantage of the discount day at the bookstore, I brought home this little pile, which will be my reading material for the trip. I can't wait to get started on the Thirteenth Letter (highly recommended by a friend), but the other two I'm not so sure of.



A last detail on the trade paperback size cover. A couple of friends complained that their books slip easily from inside their covers when they carry them in their bags, so I came up with this simple idea to prevent that. Just added two fabric strips to the interior so that the cover of the book can be slipped inside them, and still allow the flexibility for the bookcover to be used for thicker or narrower books. Such a simple idea, don't know how I didn't think about this before.





Have a great weekend (and holiday). I'll try to post here while I'm abroad, and hopefully with more photos of crafty shopping :)

#300

a new design ...


 

Materials: linen, tweed, wool and cotton (exterior), nobuck (interior) and suede (cord)



and it can be used on both sides



More to follow soon ... happy world book day !

mala #100

desta vez para uma menina, que também se chama gaspar (de apelido, claro)

to brighten up this rainy day, here's another patchwork bag, also customized and reversible. It's probably one of my favorites, so I guess I'll just have to make one for myself now.

see the reverse side here and the back here



brrr, and it's chillier today, so maybe I'll get to wear that scarf soon after all.
Have a great weekend !

(one more) tweed scarf

I know it's already a bit late in the season for this, but when I paired these fabrics the other day I knew I'd have to make another tweed scarf. I mean, they just looked so great together ... and perfect for this.



I probably won't get to wear it anytime soon, but that's just something to look forward to next winter. I actually wear scarves a lot when it's colder so I MUST have a lot of them (hence the excuse to make a new one at every opportunity)



(and have I ever said here before how much I love this pattern ? I really, really do. Ms Schmidt, you're a genius)

on why I love making softies

I think it's pretty self explanatory, right ?
The blue and red one I made for the birthday girl you see above (my friend's daughter), and was immediately christened Tufa. The pink one is called Molly and is staying at home for the time being...

chocolate cake, anyone ?

This weekend was just weather perfect, wasn't it ? It was sunny and warm enough for me to wear short sleeves for the first time this season, so we enjoyed our time out.
It was also my friend's little girl's birthday, so I wanted to bake her a treat for tea yesterday (actually, there was more baking involved. I made some rye bread and applesauce cake .. yet again. I know, I've been baking this cake every weekend lately, but it's that good, trust me)

I decided to try out the dutch chocolate cake recipe that Alicia posted a while back, and it's definitely a winner. I had to bake them for a little while longer (20 min, I think) but they came out perfect. And tasted equally delicious.



I made only half the recipe, which gave me 6 large ones, and decorated only half of those, since I figured the children would appreciate them more plain. I was glad to have been proved right, they had finished theirs even before we grown ups sat at the table.



Unfortunately the frosting didn't come out as intended, I think I didn't beat it right or something because it didn't go fluffy as planned. But it still tasted good - too good actually, since they're all gone now.

thank you Braga

wow, I wasn't expecting it, but all the bookcovers at the bookstore in Braga have now been sold. Since the exhibit is supposed to run until the end of the month, I'm sending a few more replacements.



These should be available there tomorrow (#285 to #291)

easter bits

this long weekend we hiked a little ...



(location: Peninha, trail length: 4.5 km)







we also baked a little: applesauce cake again and some baked cheesecake (thanks for the recipe, T)







and the first strawberries of this season for breakfast ...



and not much crafting, but here's a little wip selection for something soon ...



also, watched a couple of good movies, ate some more dim sum and tried a new indian restaurant nearby (good, by the way). And sunday lunch with the family, of course.

And how was your easter ?

 

shop update

This definitely is bookcover week. I haven't done a shop update in a couple of months, so I was feeling somewhat guilty and worked on these bookcovers during the last few days, just in time for Easter.



I will try to add new items more frequently, maybe just one or two every week, and not wait to finish a whole batch before I post them. They're available here now.



By the way, thanks to everyone who subscribes to the mailing list, as I said I know I don't post new items very frequently but I'm trying to improve on that.

Have a lovely Easter, everyone !

centésima página

A bookcover was my first crafty item that I posted on this blog. Since then, I've made over 270 of these, something that I never thought I would, and which I hope are still being used and cherished all around.



Last week I worked on a wholesale order for a bookstore, which was a first for me, and I was really happy to have been asked. April is sort of a celebration month bookwise, today being the International Children's Book Day and the 23rd being the World Book Day, so it seemed even more appropriate.



These ten bookcovers are now available at Centésima Página, in Braga.

Livraria 100ª Página
Casa Rolão
Av. Central 118-120
Braga