A Different Craft - Quilt Preview

As you know - and probably a lot of you can relate - I like having my hands in more than one craft at a time. While most of my time might be about belt buckles, that doesn't mean I shouldn't fit in drawing, cards, jewelry, quilting, random crafts, and anything else that sounds intriguing and uses some creativity. In my temporary Seattle digs, I so far have a place for buckles (of course), sewing, and jewelry. I did just get a book on candle making, but I'm fairly certain that wax on someone's floors is not a good way to say "thanks for the accommodations!".

So, in a quick break from Belts & Buckles 101, here's a preview of my current quilting project.

Next, I'll chop off the ends of the rows and straighten things up. Then, I'm trying to decide whether to add a plain batik border before putting it all together. What do you think?

Keep Your Buckle On! Or...How to Make a Leather Belt

Since I spend an unusual amount of time chatting with folks about belts and buckles, I've made some interesting finds about what might simply be called "General Belt & Buckle Know-How". Not surprising, most folks don't think twice about the topic, but I happen to think it's pretty interesting. So, in the spirit of increasing everyone's General Belt & Buckle Know-How, this is installment one in Belts & Buckles 101.

Today - How the heck does a person make a nice leather belt anyhow?

While I sell high quality leather belts here at Wild Bear Buckles, I don't make leather belts myself. So, we are headed to the experts for the answer. Take it away Maine Line Leather...

How to Make a Leather Belt - A complete tutorial!

Crafting: Finding ideas for inspiration!

Some days I could spend hours making buckles and never stop to take a breath, but other days I just sit and stare at the piles on my desk. What's the difference? Inspiration! 

Here are some of my favorite ways to get inspired and things that I find inspiring...

- I'm a frugal person (that's the nice way to say it  :)  ), so I always keep old greetings cards and fun scraps of paper around - you just never know when they'll be perfect for a project.  So take a look through your piles of saved scraps.

- When my husband and I want to think about adventure, the first thing we do is pull out maps. We have piles of them. So why not create fun items from the maps I love to look at. What do you love to browse through? How can you use that item in a project?
The beginning of a new buckle...

- Around town I keep my eyes open for things I like and that are eye-catching. All the beautiful colors at the paint store - put them to use!

- Borrow from one craft to give to another! Besides making buckles I also love to sew. Turns out there are a million fun fabrics with great designs. Why not borrow from my sewing stash for my other favorite craft? Blanket or buckle...

And, finally, there's always inspiration to be found online...

• Browse the amazing crafts and great photos at craftgawker.com
• Look at the beautiful treasuries on etsy.com
• Find a few blogs that have a great aesthetic. My choice today is elle.mnop - a pleasingly simple website with beautiful photos, fun ideas, and a mishmash that's fun to explore.

What items inspire you?