Hello! Sorry I haven’t been updating the old elsie marley, but I’ve been working on the new season of Kid’s Clothes Week! There is so much good stuff going on over there! This season’s theme is STORYBOOK (good, right?!). Our amazing contributors have been hard at work coming up with clever ways you can use that theme.

Last week I gave you guys an assignment, a creative assignment. First, you gave me a list of words. Then I paired them up randomly and gave them back to you. From those two words you were to make something, anything! And you made all kinds of awesome things! There are actually too many to show here, so I thought I’d feature them on the elsie marley facebook page throughout the week. But I can’t not show you a few of my favorites:

Erin is an artist who make fantastic plush dolls. She sells her creations in her shop, Boolah Baguette. She made this alligator sailor for the creative assignment and I totally fell for him: stripy tank, jaunty hat, how could you not love him?!

I sent out all the creative assignments earlier this week.  I took all the words you gave me, numbered them, and then had a random number generator spit out pairs. Some of the pairs were super random! Check these suckers out: 

It’s been a little while since our last Creative Assignment and I’m ready for another! How about you? Just the promise of Fall has me feeling refreshed.

1. lincoln 2. banana 3. dj felix 4. cyclops 5. doorbell 6. diy sticker mandala

New ideas are the new thing these days. It sometimes seems our economy is riding on the hope of “new ideas.” As humans we are always looking for the exciting new thing. As modern humans we are looking to wow our boss or get famous or make bank, all with the one new idea.

Four years ago, I crocheted some edging on a few yards of linen and made myself a beach blanket. I have loved that thing ever since. It’s just the right mix of utilitarian and fancy for me (and for the beach). It has held up suprisingly well. The crochet bit has gotten skrunchy and soft from all the washings. The photos below are from when I made it and today.