Pack Rat Magazine just saw the movie Heat and we want to talk about it now!

I was futzing around on the CB2 website (an odd offshoot of Crate and Barrel which, frankly, looks exactly like regular Crate and Barrel), when I came across a few wall prints that caught my eye. When I investigated further, I found that each was by the Finnish fabric gods at marimekko and it reminded me I wanted to check out their spring/summer line. If you’re not familiar with this design collective and you love big, bright eye candy then I recommend you check them out immediately. They hit the fashion scene in the sixties and while their aesthetic has evolved over the years, they’ve never lost their bold, graphic take on fashion. Intricate enough to hang on a wall, beautiful enough to dress you up from head to toe, marimekko is one of the undisputed rulers in the textile industry. If you can’t find their prints in stores, try Ebay.

It’s Pack Rat Magazine, b*tches!

Okay, so I know I’ve been awol recently and I’m sure you’ve all be struggling to find the will to live without my sage words of advice (JK) but I’m back and the reason for my prolonged absence and subsequent return is that I’ve been working diligently on producing for you all (or y’all where appropriate) issue numero quatro of Pack Rat. This issue we help the Earth in the spirit of Earth Day by doing what we do best: recycled crafts and lots of them. We also talk with jewelry designer Becky Houle, a.k.a. The Vicious Kitty, look into what this whole letterbox craze is all about and, with the help of Cat Morley from Cut Out + Keep make our own letterbox stampers, hit the thrifts for some inexpensive crafting supplies, and just about a zillion things more. Head over to www.packratmag.com/zine to get in on the action. I missed you all and I’m glad to be back. Happy crafting!

“Rhett, Rhett, Where shall I go? What shall I do?”

“Frankly my dear, I think you should read Pack Rat Magazine.”

Today is a day for craft tutorials.  It’s raining/snowing where I am and what better way to enjoy the gray weather then to say indoors with a project?  An extra way to cheer up a gray day would be to paint an old pair of night stands or chests a bright lime green?  If you agree, check out this fun tutorial from J. Caroline Creative.  I completely adore the graphic fabric decoupage.  It’s so…va-va-voom.

Hi kids!  the Feb/March Issue is finally out and rarin’ to go.  Click on the pdf link below!  And remember, if you think you could do better, you’re welcome to show us what you’ve got. Submission deadlines for next issue will be March 20th.  Happy reading.

issue3.pdf

Looking for more crafty fun? Check out Pack Rat Magazine Issue #2.

Totable totes, baggable bags, and clutchable clutches abound at U-handbag, an online shop based out of the UK dedicated to handbag supplies. Things like handles, frames, and latches are easy to find and fun to dream over. Want to make the perfect bag? Their free instructions will help get you there. And, if you’re not sure exactly what type of bag you’re looking to make, head over to the inspiration gallery and check out what your fellow craftsters are up to. My favorite so far is the Carnival Time, Basket Style Bag, pictured below.

Check out Pack Rat Magazine, Issue #1 and stay tuned for Issue #2 available Dec. 1st.

Hey Peeps. Sorry about this week. I just needed a little vacation from the blog (I’ve been bombarded by all sorts of crap). But, since I have deprived you for a while now, I’m going to cut to the chase and give you a whole lot of what you want. Less of me blathering, more fun links for you to check out. So here we go:

Miss Hawklet: Check out this online store for hand spun yarn in scrumptious colors and handmade books.

Get ready to be snug as a bug in a rug this winter season with a pattern for these adorable mittens from Potter Craft News

Speaking of patterns that will make you squeal with joy, check out Stitch crafting blog for a free pattern on how to make this Bender amigurumi.

Who doesn’t love street art? Graffiti is one of the most amazing things born out of city living (please, please don’t send me emails or make comments about the semantics of when and where graffiti actually originated. If you want to consider hieroglyphics and cave paintings graffiti then knock yourself out). Check out this entry on baekdal.com’s blog about Skelewags, a graffiti project by “Chewie” that incorporates the physical reality of the surroundings into the surreality of his cartoons.

And finally, you might recall from one of my previous blogs that I was taken with a wiki knitting site. Well here’s another wiki for you to have, to hold, to bookmark and that is SewWiki: A Beginner’s Sewing Community. According to the main page, “This site contains Beginner Sewing Lessons, fabric shop directories and information, advice on buying a sewing machine, and all sorts of other information for both new and experienced sewers.” It seems (ah, I love puns) a little sparse, but I love the idea of craft wikis so why don’t those of us with some sewing knowledge meet up there and get this ball rolling.

Check out Issue #1 of Pack Rat Magazine!

An offshoot of a store named Purl, The Purl Bee is a lovely little web 2.0 community of people discussing knitting, crocheting, embroidery and all other facets of crafting.  Their online journal is full of useful tutorials about the nuts and bolts of these traditional crafts, and some non-traditional ideas on how to use them.  They also link to a bunch of other helpful sites and have an online shop to compliment their physical, real world one.  And these lovely ladies are based in the Big Apple, which means that they combine old school values like attention to detail with some sleek, sophisticated aesthetic.  Check it out below.
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The “It” is providing fantastic style, in this instance. If you’re the kind of person that drools of beautiful fabric, especially ones with razzmatazz patterns, then you’ve no doubt heard of Amy Butler and her fabulous line. Well, besides keeping us elbow deep in awesome threads, Amy’s site also provides free patterns for some stylish creations, such as the hour glass pattern below. Sure, it might be a marketing tactic created so that you say to yourself, “By God, I need to buy that fabric,” but Hell, there was a pretty good chance you were going to think that anyway.