Uncommon Goods: Gift Giving

UncommonGoodsLogo-JSIMI was so happy to be asked once again by Uncommon Goods to share their exciting products in exchange for a bit of shopping on their site. Don’t think I’ll ever turn that down, they are one of my most favorite places to peruse and shop. I always come away inspired by the uniquely designed pieces. With brand new uncommon goods added weekly to their shopping site- I have to warn that sometimes it’s kind of hard to decide among all the fabulous choices.UncommonGoods-JSIM-03 Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and though I’m a bit behind in sharing their great line-up of Mother’s Day gift ideas, I think you’ll still enjoy seeing the collection they created just for mom… or YOU! If you’re a creative, crafty type, you’re really going to enjoy this source. If you’re into buying handmade and artist pieces, this is your go-to hub. And with Father’s Day coming up before you know it, the Father’s Day gift selections will be a big help in making you a super star while celebrating your awesome dad. And, by the way, UncommonGoods.com is one of the best places to shop for unusual but wonderful graduate gifts!

Here are other Uncommon Goods categories to check out.

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Craft Book Review: Make Your Mark, Lark Crafts

I was given a review copy of Make Your Mark: Creative Ideas Using Markers, Paint Pens, Bleach Pens & More and since receiving this craft book I can’t seem to put it down. It’s like a legit license to doodle… on anything and everything. And you know how I love to doodle. JSIM-MakeYourMark-08No need to go looking for new items to embellish, this book encourages using things you already have around you and transforming them into adorable gifts, apparel, accessories, and art. And with very minimal supplies and techniques, most of which are well explored in “The Basics” section of the book, one can create really enjoyable projects with plenty of unique ideas and over 50 design templates. So whether or not you have a steady and artistic hand, this book has you covered for cool designs that can be transferred to your items for marking.JSIM-MakeYourMark-02Projects in this book include projects crafting on fabric, plastic, glass, wood, and stone, including kitchenware, throw pillow & pillowcases, dishes, jewelry, apparel, coasters, a scarf, shrink plastic, pebbles, eggs, and so much more.  One of my favorite crafts in the book is the T-shirt and bleach pen project. I’ll be doing that one soon for sure.JSIM-MakeYourMark-01The whimsical designs on dishes are so inspiring, and I love the illustrated all-purpose baggies. I was inspired by the white on glass paint pen projects and could hardly wait to try that for myself. I grabbed three thrifted clear drinking glasses and a White DecoArt Glass Paint Marker and went to work.JSIM-MakeYourMark-07JSIM-MakeYourMark-04These are a few of my favorite things…as written around this glass.JSIM-MakeYourMark-06Here are my final pieces inspired by Make Your Mark.JSIM-MakeYourMark-03 JSIM-MakeYourMark-05You can find Make Your Mark in bookstores and online.

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Mollie Makes U.S. Edition Launch: Inspired Barn Feature

Yesterday was the big launch of Mollie Makes U.S. Edition magazine.MollieMakesLaunchCover-JSIM I’m more new than not to Mollie Makes, a UK lifestyle & craft magazine quite popular there and here in the United States. Once I discovered the original magazine I was hooked! It has the coolest, freshest, most adorable projects and features that I would dub “cheerful content”. So you can imagine how blessed I feel to have my studio featured in this exciting U.S. launch edition! The beauty of the U.S. edition is that it not only features American crafters, their spaces and projects, but the resources shared are also primarily U.S. based.MollieMakesLaunchInspiredBarn-JSIMI figure my barn’s 15 minutes of fame is just about up, but I’m thrilled for the ride lately with all the fabulous press! I was visited by Mollie Makes U.S. Editor-in-Chief Katherine Stevenson and Art Director Jillian Lungaro for a day of shooting with photographer Mark Madeo and his assistant, Kasia Tanalska.Mollie-Makes-Photo-Shoot-Inspired-Barn I’m so excited not only to see my studio in big, beautiful, full-page shots in this delightful craft magazine, but also to to have such a lovely article written by Katherine herself in this seven-page feature.

These are the images photographed by Mark Madeo for my Mollie Makes U.S. (Click to enlarge.)Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-06 Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-07Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-05 Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-10 Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-02Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-09Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-04Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-08Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-01Cathe-Holden-Inspired-Barn-Mollie-Makes-03How wonderful to find a few of my other crafty friends featured in this issue as well- Beverly McCullough of Flamingo Toes, Elana Lai Etcheverry of Charity Wings, and a darling project & contributing interview by Kim Layton of Everything Etsy.

MollieMakesLaunchCoverMobile-JSIMYou can subscribe to Mollie Makes U.S. right now for $24.99 (12 issues/1 year)…That’s 74% off the cover price! You can even purchase digital copies for only $1.99 per month.

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