Talk Crafty To Me » Books

Vote for my Underwater Photography Book!

kelly — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:44:28 +0000

Taking a little break from Pumpkin week to tell you about a book I made!

I’ve finally gotten around to putting all of my underwater photography from our year in Southeast Asia into a book. Just in time for Blurb’s “Best Books Contest”. Finalists are based on the number of votes so this is where you come in. Please go here and vote for my book! You’ll need to register (so they can make sure people only vote once) but it’s quick and it would mean a lot to me.

- Vote for my book here! (Click the blue ‘Vote’ button on the top left of the page)

You can even purchase it, if you want your very own copy (but don’t worry, it’s not required to vote).

About the book:

Bottom Time
Southeast Asia from below
“After 10 years in the Internet industry, web designer Kelly Hale and developer Mike Schimanowsky sold all their worldly belongings, bid farewell to friends and family, packed a laptop and traded in the daily 9-5 for a life of nomadic freelancing and travel.

365 days, and 90 dives later, these are some of their favorite photos from our year in Southeast Asia.”

About Blurb

For those of you not familiar with Blurb, it’s a great resource for creating your very own book. For Christmas last year, I made a book, for both Mike’s and my families. It was a great gift, since we weren’t gonna be home for the holidays and not only did our parents love it cause it was full of pictures of us, but the quality was really great, and it was easy to create.

All you need to do is download the BookSmart® software (or InDesign® templates if you’re an experienced designer) for either Mac or PC, and start creating. The software lets you import photos from your computer or from photo-sharing sites like Flickr, and Picasa, and it will even slurp your blog for you. It comes with a bunch of templates for layout, as well as backgrounds, borders and themes. Once you’ve created your book you upload it to Blurb, and order away. You have the option of hard cover or soft cover, and can choose premium paper for that extra professional look.

Most people use Blurb to document their vacations, or their wedding, and especially their children and pets. But there are also lots of people out there using Blurb to self publish their photos, stories, or illustrations. Ever wanted to write a children’s book, or publish your photography. Blurb allows you to do this, and gives you a place to sell your book. You set the price (above the production cost) and keep the profits.

The first time around my book was purely for family, but this time I wanted something less personal in hopes of selling a few copies. I chose only my best shots and concentrated on subjects that might appeal to a broader audience. I’ll let you know how things go and if I manage to sell any, but for now, please vote for me!

- Vote for my book here!

Read the original post here: Vote for my Underwater Photography Book!

Happy Earth Day: Sewing Green

kelly — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:49:33 +0000

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d tell you all about this great book from Betz White, Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made With Re-purposed & Organic Materials. In the book Betz talks about choosing organically produced fibers, and reusing things you already have such as cutting up unwanted garments, and saving packing materials. What better way to help make a positive impact on our planet, not to mention engage your creativity and save money!

The 25 cute projects are beautifully photographed and include full-sized pattern pieces, making them super easy to follow. But Sewing Green is not just a project book, it contains a lot of great tips on thrifting and how to avoid some of the pit falls as well as featuring other crafters who bring an eco-friendly approach to their work. Sewing Green hopes to inspire you to choose sustainable or recycled materials for your future projects.

Read the original post here: Happy Earth Day: Sewing Green

craft book: Sew Darn Cute

kelly — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:20:11 +0000

Jenny Ryan’s new book definitely lives up to the title. The projects are absolutely adorable. I love her fabric choices and they way she mixes vintage with modern, patterns with solids, plus a little bit of Japanese fabric thrown in for fun.

The 30 projects are divided among four themes: Pretties (small wearables), Totables (assorted bags and totes), Nest (home decor projects), Kid Stuff (onsies, bibs, toys), and Crafties (supply holders and tools). All of which are perfect for beginners. Beautiful photography and loads of tips all in a super friendly tone. At the back of the book you’ll find patterns and templates for all of the cut-out embellishments as well as a supplier list for hard-to-find items.

These whimsical projects are bound to inspire even the most seasoned crafter.

Buy it at amazon.com or Chapters.ca

Read the original post here: craft book: Sew Darn Cute