Shipping News, Upcoming Appearances + More Sneak Peeks from Crafting A Colorful Home

Wow - I did it! I have finished shipping all the books that have been on order (and delayed because of the snow). It has been a pile of work - Thank you EVERYONE for the generous orders. It has really helped me and my family. (Read below for the extension of the free shipping plus.) Boxes, tape, postcards, labels, signing Sharpies, mailing bags and more boxes have been scattered all over the dining room, living room, and library in our house. I've been watching Monarch of the Glen while doing this. Do you know it?

This morning, I headed down to the Bernardston Post Office to ship the last 20 books that were on order. Here is a photo of the old Post Office which sat on the main road of the town. The new post office (shown on the right) is about 30 feet away and doesn't look much different. 

I was there every day at lunchtime this week so that Jim, the Postmaster, could run the orders through while the post office was closed as to not inconvenience any customers. What a nice guy he is. He is retiring soon (he is younger than me!) and I do not think the place will be the same for anyone who frequents this cute and convenient little bit of America. I should take a photo of him and Julia together because they have been buddies for years - since before she could see over the counter. What nice memories for her when she grows up of small town living. 

I have decided to extend my FREE FREIGHT, Kristin illustrated bookplate (specify Flower or House on the order form or I will pick for you), and free postcards through the end of February. Hop on over to my website if you haven't ordered yet and would like to help out my family and I with direct sales of the book. Here is the link. This book makes a lovely Valentine's Day gift (hint hint - if your special someone is looking for a gift idea!) If you don't "do Paypal", never fear - send a check written to Kristin Nicholas for $27.95 to PO Box 212, Bernardston, MA 01337 and I will send a book, bookplate, etc.

Last week, on my Newsletter I sent on Sunday (before the big game), I let my readers in on some more sneak peeks from CACH. If you aren't a newsletter subscriber, you can sign up on the top right hand side of the blog. I have been sending it almost every Sunday this winter. Not sure how long I will keep it up. I include some bits of news from the farm, some good links, and I preview upcoming products before they hit the blog, market, or website. Sign up if you like - you can always unsubscribe if I start to annoy you.  

(For anyone interested in starting their own newsletter, I use MailChimp and I LOVE it. Very easy to figure out and if you have a small list, it is free. Good for small businesses, churches, even families. I began free - but as my business and list has been growing, I now pay per month. It is a sliding scale, depending on how many subscribers you send to.)

Before the Sneak Peeks - just an FYI about some upcoming appearances I am doing. Man, this is getting long - sorry.
• First, tomorrow - it isn't really an appearance because I am there every Saturday - but I'll have a pile of Crafting A Colorful Home books with me at the Amherst Winter Farmers Market at the Amherst Middle School. If you are local and want to pick up the new book to read during the NEXT SNOWSTORM ON SUNDAY (seriously - when will it stop?) - stop on by the Leyden Glen Lamb booth.   
• On February 18th, I will be at Black Sheep Knitting Company in Needham, MA from 6:30 to 8:30. I will be doing a talk, and selling and signing books. Check it out here. Seating is limited and you will have to call the store. 
• On March 5th, I will be the Keynote Speaker at Opening Night of the Roslindale Library Yarn and Craft Book Sale. The talk is from 7 to 8 and I will be selling and signing books from 8 to 9. This is a great event for a good cause. Pick up some yarn, buy some gently used donated craft books - the event continues from March 5 to 7. Here is the link for more information.

Onto the Sneak Peeks....      If you are a longtime blog reader, you know that I am a big fan of printing on fabric. See here and here for older posts. I use kids fun foam mounted on foam insulation board. Sounds crazy but it works and it is a heap of fun. There are three different projects in Crafting A Colorful Home that feature this technique. Here is a photo of what the stamp looks like.

Photo by Rikki Snyder

I printed my studio stairs with this block.  Here you can see the stairs on the cover of Where Women Create (Spring 2014 issue).

Here are more stamps I have made.

 

Here is the tablecloth I printed with these stamps. This project and all templates for the stamps are included in the new book Crafting a Colorful Home.

Photo by Rikki Snyder

Here's another project featuring hand printed fabric. This chair pad layers the different stamps on top of each other to create a rose. Directions for sewing the chair pad are also included. 

photo by Rikki Snyder

Here is a close-up of the chair pad.

This little turquoise rocking chair came to me many years ago when my friend Scott passed away. It has sat on the porches of the only two homes we have owned. I love the thought that Scott is still with us - he died way too young. I have many fun memories of Scott and if you ever come to the farm for a class, I will share them with you. It was nice to be able to make a new chair pad and include it in the new book. 

Have a great weekend everyone! Cook something good. Stay warm and safe if you live in the path of the upcoming storm. Here's a photo of the lambs in the barn trying to stay warm this frigid morning. One found a feed bowl to sleep in. Clever little lamb.