Odd ball charm zine by Alma Stoller

Last week I received Alma Stoller’s zine Odd Ball Charm ! I got issue #5 and I wish I had all of the previous ones because they are so cute – and all about craft projects too! I read so many crafty blogs and books and look at so many projects that you wouldn’t think a little thing like this would get me going so bad, right? But sometimes it’s the little things that find their way to your hand and into your heart.

A published zine is kind of special because it has the benefits of all magazines; it takes you way from the computer, and the extra benefit of a zine is that it’s handmade and so very personal! A small nudge to get out your paint is way better than 1000 posts at CRAFT (all of their posts includes projects that I wish I had come up with, that I wish I had the time to make or that I mark to make in the future) because they just keep on coming and there is no end to them… A zine is a finished product and that’s what I like about it. When I read this I went crazy happy, it’s because the zine thing inspires me so much!

Odd ball charm zine #5 is 38 pages in color print collage style with short descriptive articles about crochet bling, doodles embroidery patterns, ideas and notes from Alma’s Sketchbook, a whole article on how to make your own art doll and more! Plus there is lots of stuff; “inclusions” on almost every page!

Inclusions are little things that fall out (or is stapled to a page) from the zine when you browse through it. I had to hold it together when I first read it because I wanted to keep the surprise inside until I reached the page. Inclusions in Alma’s zine are little crafty gifts to get you starting on any of the projects in the zine. I love both the fun collage style of the zine, the inclusions and the projects she is talking about.

Alma and I made a swap deal and I absolutely love everything in the package she did send me; fabric, ribbons, yummy papers, collage images, cardboard letter (Hanna) and sequin waste. But my favorite is the zine. You can get your own copy of Odd Ball Charm in her well stocked and very fun Etsy Shop. Also check out her creative blog at almastoller.typepad.com! She makes the kind of crazy art stuff that I wish I could come up with!

I’ve said a zine is in my future for a whole year now, but I know now that I’ve read this one that I will have to sit down and do it soon. I’m defiantly going to apply to be in Alma’s zine swap in July next year, over at i heart zines.com! Yesterday I also got Sister Diane’s own zine in the mail. It’s called Christmas Digest and she sends it to friends and family every year (this is the fourth issue). I think a yearly zine is such an awesome idea, and one that brightens the dark December is extremely nice to receive.

♥ On page 8-9 there is a description about how Alma found bamboo place mats at a Chinese store in Soho and was inspired by the material. She took the mats apart and made pendants out of the tiles… I loved the idea of that and didn’t discover the little plastic bag stapled to the page until a few seconds later. Inside was a few of the tiles! I grabbed the nearest bottle of paint and got started. Blue paint, glitter and then a little decoupage image and it was done! It’s going to be a Christmas gift for my mother!

I’ve several things I want to write about but it was a hectic week and I haven’t had the time to sit down and actually feel calm enough to write something. I’ve been exercising (yay me!), baby sitting my cousin Jennifer (age 2), fika with Anna and Magis, and working every night. I also managed to loose my striped beret the first day I took it out (on the train) which kind of set me back craftvise… I knit so slowly and it takes me a long time to finish a knitted item, and to then loose it is just crazy! So stupid, what was I thinking?

Today I’ve been to town to pick up a Cafe press package that I will blog about soon and then made some Christmas shopping for my family. I like to give books to my dad, because I know he will read them and tell me if he recommends me to read them too!

I’m looking for Barack Obama’s book Dreams from My Father to give to my own father, but I couldn’t find it as it has sold out! I want it in big size paperback (storpocket) in Swedish where it is called Min far hade en dröm. I haven’t heard anything about Obama’s book but I like the title and as it his biography it feels interesting not that he was elected president. I have big hopes for what he can accomplish and I’m curious about his background.