You should know that Milkland (where the tale of this simple day is set) is a “mysterious place where adventures are had (real and pretend) every day,” and this particular day in Hedgie’s life was no different.

On this day Hedgie met up with his best pals Ghostie and Onionhead in the forest of Milkland and they happened upon the mermaid Cora and her pet Ned the Narwhal (now how these two could exist so carefree outside of water I don’t know, perhaps that is another story for another time). They were both pleased to make the acquaintance of Hedgie, Ghostie, and Onionhead. Naturally they all became fast friends and explored the forest together until dusk.

Then they had to part ways, and Cora explained that she “lives in a tiny white house, in a place where the forest meets the sea,” and they all really must come to tea sometime soon. Plans were made, and Hedgie and his friends walked home.

“What an adventure, to meet new friends, and a land-dwelling mermaid and narwhal at that!” said Hedgie to his mom Rose that evening. (Just as a side note, in case you were wondering, Rose has her own bakery, but she had taken this particular day off to forage the flea markets for wind-up toys to surprise Hedgie). “That sounds delightful, darling,” said Rose, handing out freshly iced cupcakes to Hedgie and Onionhead because in Milkland children are allowed sweets before bedtime.

Soon after the sugary treat, Rose tucked Hedgie into bed. And he slept while mermaids and narwhals danced through his dreams.

And they all lived happily ever after, of course.

***Some details and all dolls from the imagination of Emily Winfield Martin and her book The Black Apple’s Paper Doll Primer.  Story from the minds of Kaycie Hall and Zita White.  Scenes conglomerated by Zita White.

Check out Kaycie and Zita’s last story starring The Black Apple’s Paper Doll Primer.

by Zita

one day violaine was reading her favorite author (edgar allan poe, of course) in her usual hangout deep in the woods when a handsome transient appeared on the path and asked her if she know where to find adventure and maybe some coffee and a piece of pie.  “my friend and i,” he said, gesturing to hedgie the hedgehog was was standing next to him still glowing from the excitement of leaving his native milkland, “have just, er, hopped off a train a mile or so from here.  we were in danger of being discovered as stowaways and thought it’d be better to avoid trouble.”

still stunned by their appearance in her secret reading spot, violaine only managed to say, “if you’re looking for something fun or whatever, i heard there’s a circus five miles or so from here.  just follow that path through the forest and you will find your way.”

and so tom and hedgie follow the path and find a small village where they encounter alice who is on her way to bring some “beautiful soup” to her mad lover (some know him as the mad hatter, but he’s not really all that mad).  she tells tom that he is indeed going in the right direction.  “keep following this road and about 2.5 miles west of here you will find your way.”

and precisely 2.5 miles west of alice’s front doorstep, tom and hedgie find huxter’s amazing traveling carnival.  they meet hazel and olive (conjoined twins, stars of the show, and both “dazzling dancers”) and boris the bear, who works as the musical accompaniment to hazel and olive’s act.  boris has recently found himself in need of a banjo player.

luckily for boris, tom has brought his banjo along; so perhaps the vagabond and his hedgehog sidekick have found a home at last…

the end (for now).

***some details and all dolls from the imagination of emily winfield martin and her book the black apple’s paper doll primer.  story from the minds of kaycie hall and zita white.  scenes conglomerated by zita white.

by Zita

Similar to my Indie Craft reaction, World of Geekcraft sold me on every page! Susan Beal has brought together, with some of her own work,  several stellar examples of quirky crafting.  Just can’t find the right spot for your Wii-mote? How about a handy belt and holster to help you out? Books on the shelf looking a little bare? Wrap them up in a robot themed book jacket!

I was very intrigued by Diane Gilleland’s idea giving new life to old watch parts. Her “Marvelous Machine Steam Punk” pendant shows off these now  nonfunctioning parts from a fresh perspective.  This makes me want to go get some wire clippers and start this week! This design reminds me of Hermione Granger’s Time Turner necklace that she uses in the third Harry Potter book to use time travel to her advantage. This recycled piece of jewelry is like a miniature art installation around your neck.

There’s really too many favorites in this book to mention: felted solar system mobile, periodic table iPod cozies.  And I can think of several people who would love a Star Wars Terrarium! All it takes is a mason jar, your favorite action figure, some sand, or more appropriate landscaping materials, and you’re ready to start Lucas‘ing.  Another favorite, bringing back warm childhood memories, is the Oregon Trail cross-stitch.  Check out all these great ideas!

-Peyton

Whether it’s the googly-eyed peanuts or the braided hair door handles, Amy Sedaris shares her well-honed hospitality skills in I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

Need to know the best way to usher you and your girlfriends into a proper Ladies’ Night? You’ve got to get the right wig, apparently, so there’s a chart included.  Or maybe how to appropriately entertain the elderly? Study her suggestions; they’re tried and true. For instance, on the geriatric menu, don’t forget “three gin-soaked raisins. This is good to have every day because it helps with arthritis.”

With my love of sweets, I enjoyed the “Cavity-Hole” chapter.  Here are hilarious ideas to brighten up any celebration.  From the Band-Aid shaped “We Can Fix It” cake to a “Happy Coming Out” cake, Amy Sedaris presents such an amusing mixture of comedy and her culturally aware insights to produce this handbook of sorts. The “Gift-Giving” chapter is also fun; a topic she expounds upon in her latest book Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People. These books are straight funny! Check them out!

-Peyton

Due to the fact that I am in charge of the craft section I have acquired a very respectable craft book collection. I wrote a blog not long ago about the craft book that has started this very welcome epidemic in my life. Well the new book of my obsession is called Knitting Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec. This book teaches you how to knit amigurumi. And if you don’t know what that is, let me provide you with a definition:

Amigurumi (編みぐるみ, lit. knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features.

So seriously these little knitted animals are the cutest things ever. I just finished my first toy the other night and I was over the moon about how cute the little guy was. In the book he is called a “Bite-free Bedbug”, and yes he has a little sleeping cap with embroidered stars on it.

For years I have been a knitter of just straight scarves, but upon seeing this book I knew I was ready to up the ante and teach myself how to knit on three needles. So one night I sat down on my couch surrounded by my dogs, who were very eager to take off with my ball of yarn, and taught myself how to knit in the round. It took about two hours to get it right, but watching how-to videos on knittinghelp.com really helped me. So now I feel like a total knitting all-star.

These little creatures would be amazing gifts for anyone who likes to come dangerously close to overdosing on cuteness. Nothing is more special than something that you make with your own hands with someone particular in mind. -Ellen

First of all I would just like to thank all of the crafters out there in the world for dedicating their lives to be surrounded by precious handmade things. Second of all I have made it my life’s mission to join their ranks. The next time you walk through the doors of Lemuria be sure to check out the most awesome craft section at the far end of the front desk.

Within the past month and a half I have become obsessed with embroidery. Not just any embroidery though, this is Jenny Hart embroidery. Jenny Hart is the queen of the crafters. She has her own company online called Sublime Stitching where you can buy all kinds of hip patterns. Or better yet, you can buy her books! We have two of her books in the store and they are great!

She can teach the most beginner of beginner embroiderers how to stitch. She includes easy to understand how-to illustrations of a number of popular stitches, along with super cute projects. Her first book is called Sublime Stitching, which is great and has a TON of reusable embroidery transfers. However, her newest book Embroidered Effects is my favorite!

Seriously, the cuteness is unending. There is such a variety of patterns that you will want to make something for everyone you know. Inexpensive Christmas gifts perhaps? Well that is what everyone is getting from me! And might I add I will be creating all these awesome handmade goodies in the crafting room I have set up in my house. I know, I know.

But honestly Jenny Hart is not the only crafter with some great books out there. Our craft shelves have some of the best. -Ellen

welcome to amy sedaris’ wonderful world of crafting.  this book is beyond amazing. there is no way someone else could even attempt to combine this much humor with this much creativity…can’t be done.

i’m not gonna give out any freebie step by steps here because everyone and their mother needs to own a copy of this piece of work but i am going to share a few crafting projects and tips from amy that just bedazzle me.

“Crafting will be an enjoyable and fulfilling activity as long as you take precautions to assure safety, and you accept that you, as well as many of the crafters nearest and dearest to you, are statistically destined to be hurt real bad.”

MOST COMMON CRAFTING ACCIDENTS
1. Sawdust fires
2. Pinecone lodged in throat
3. Decoupage fatigue blackout
4. Dried flower fungal infections
5. Seen sensitivity
6. Hanged from a yarn noose
7. Feather asphyxia

stretching before and after crafting is crucial

MOST POPULAR CRAFTS
1. Tuna Can Lid Baby’s Sleep Chime
2. Mr. Wiggly Worm
3. Macrame Pinch Pots
4. Crab Claw Roach Clip
5. Toiler Paper Roll Pirate
6. Seaweed Lampshade
7. Googly-eyed Clamshells

now let’s start crafting!

by Zita

This is around the time of year I start snooping around for Christmas present ideas. Wanting to skip the mall rush and having little money, I’ve decided to get crafty again and awaken the do-it-myself-er.

In past years, I’ve gifted photographs or fun seasonal baked treats. And now that I’m working at Lemuria, I’ve decided this year, I’m gifting only books or things I’ve made. And because, at times, I have the type of personality to get carried away, I’ve set myself some boundaries. I’ve limited myself to these three books to pull from for inspiration: Sew It, Stuff It by Rob Merrett, The Lampshade Lady’s Guide to Lighting Up Your Life by Judy Lake, and Indie Craft by Jo Waterhouse.

Sew It, Stuff It is a great answer for your gifting needs, such as a baby shower. With several adorable designs, including “Perry the Pony” and a chapter on all kinds of “Divine Dollies”, you will be able to give a heart-felt gift for little cost. I’d be proud to give away a toy I’ve made from this book. Merrett presents so many great ideas in an easy-to-follow way. I’ve been wanting to dabble in lampshade design for a while but figured it would be too tedious.

Judy Lake, AKA “The Lampshade Lady” outlines the step-by-step process for making a wide range of uniquely personal shades in her book. Perfect for the gifting season, shades can be made from a variety of things. She suggests anything from old photos to old scarves and handkerchiefs to new kid decorated craft projects. She shows that simply updating a shade or two can change the feel of the entire space. Check out all the interesting ways you could use this fun craft to bring a personal homey feel.

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I also was really excited by Indie Craft. This book catalogs the alternative craft scene of Indie Craft: “The fantastic art and craft work being produced by artists and makers using traditional craft techniques but with a completely modern, alternative and subversive style, context and subject matter.” I think my mind was blown on every page the first time I opened it. Lots of great work to inspire the creative process. Check it out!

Rob Merrett's Perry the Pony

Need a Halloween Costume? Try one of Erin Dollar's beards.