I decided to fancy up my jewelry display by creating a decorative pin board with an old frame and some decorative paper, It’s really simple. You’ll need some foam core, and old frame (don’t worry if it has no back or glass), spray adhesive, gift wrap or wallpaper, and a box cutter.

Adhere the paper to the foam core, working from the middle to the outside edges to avoid air bubbles. Then trim the foam core to fit the frame. Fit the foam core inside the frame and use straight pins to display your baubles.

Your closet just got a bit more glamorous! (And you can see all your jewelery at once!) The better to wear it all, my dears!

Rare is the cookie that doesn’t have butter as it’s first ingredient. Biscotti is that elusive breed. I just made this ginger and almond version, and I’m feeling inspired to try a thousand variations. (Including dipping it in chocolate, thereby eliminating the virtues of a butter free cookie…ah well.) I’ve been enjoying mine with a teeny cup of joe around 4pm. Heaven.

Today I’m chatting with Melinda of Kimisew. She makes beautiful handbags, clutches and wallets as well as the sweetest stuffed birds, all of which she embellishes with block printing and lovely embroidery. She tells us more about life in Missoula, her recent switch to Vegitarianism and how her Mom inspired her to begin sewing. Enjoy!

The Fab Miss B: First off, tell us a little about you! What is the best thing about life in Missoula?

Melinda: I support my art habit by cutting hair, been doing it for eleven years now (can’t believe it’s been that long). Not originally from Missoula, we moved here from Colorado because my husband was accepted to the graduate program in creative writing. We have been here for three years now and my husband is just getting ready to finish up. We don’t know what the plan is next, it’s kind of exciting to know we could move again.

The best thing about Missoula is the sense of community, it’s easy to network here because of that. The people here are really great, very genuine, which can be hard to find.

The Fab Miss B:Have you always been artistic?

Melinda: I have always been interested in art, in fact until a year ago I was studying visual arts with an emphasis in ceramics. But have decided to take a break from school and focus on my new endeavor, kimisew. I miss pottery and feel I will pursue it again someday, but need a break from school to see what I really want to do in life.

The Fab Miss B:How did you get interested in printing?

Melinda: Printing is my favorite. I am a collector of vintage textiles, and one day realized I could print my own designs on my work. I like block printing because it has an “old” feel to it, the result is faded and inconsistent, making them feel like they have a history.

The Fab Miss B:What about sewing?

Melinda: My mom is my inspiration for art, sewing, and crafting. She is an amazing seamstress, and I only hope that I can have her talent someday. I have been sewing since I was a small girl, but didn’t do much of it until I was older. The process that interested me first in sewing was quilting, I love making quilts, and for awhile it was all I made. Then I upgraded to bags and the rest blossomed from there.

The Fab Miss B:Your blog is full of wonderful recipes. music and art. Do all these other interests tie in with your business? Do they give you inspiration for your creations?

Melinda: Oh yes, I am very inspired by other people’s work, even if it’s not my style, it’s amazing to me what people create, and I look at it in awe. Then I want to run home and start creating. Art and music evokes certain emotions in me and these help drive my creative energy.

As far as food goes, I am a recent vegetarian and I want to share all my delicious meals, showing people you don’t have to have a meat-based meal to enjoy a tasty and hearty dish. I enjoy cooking more now that I am a vegetarian, it seems easier to be creative with vegetables.

The Fab Miss B:What is the best part of blogging for you?

Melinda: Best part for me is taking pictures for it, I love my camera and find joy in capturing moments in time. Blogging is addicting….it’s another creative outlet and a way for my friends and family to see what I’m up to. And hopefully some of the things I blog about are inspiring.

The Fab Miss B:What inspired you to begin KimiSew?

Melinda: I wanted to share my ideas and designs with the world, and now that I am actually doing it I feel even more inspired. It gives me goals, and I like constantly trying to come up with new things.

I was pretty apprehensive at first and it took some convincing to start selling my work. I started out in a few boutiques and then decided to just open the etsy store.

The Fab Miss B:I like the off kilter proportions of your handbags- it makes them so unique. What is your best selling design? Which is your personal favorite?

Melinda: My new favorite is the wallet, they are more functional than some of the purses or clutches. And I am a little biased because I also collect old wallets.

I am also addicted to embroidering, it’s very therapeutic, it’s nice to just wind down in front of the t.v. with my hoop and embroidery thread. I love how the purses then have a sort of heirloom quality because of the embroidery. Since I am inspired most by things that are old I want my work to have a “vintage” feel to it, but with modern aspects. That’s another reason I like to use old fabric, I feel there is just nothing like it now. It’s great, too, because it’s not being produced anymore and I always feel like I’ve found a gem.

I am also in love with the birds for the simple fact of just making them, they have such personality in the end. It’s fun to come up with names for them as well.
The best selling design is the “organic flower,” one of my first prints. The purses seem to be everyone’s favorite, although the birds get the most comments.

The Fab Miss B:Your birds are my favorite item in your shop. Can you tell us more about what inspired them?

Melinda: It’s very fun to conceptualize their structure. Just taking photographs of them is enjoyable, they are very photogenic. The eagles were inspired by an old 90’s t-shirt my husband wears, and every time I see him wear I think “that’s so coo!l”… so my ideas come from everywhere in my life.

I came up with the idea of the feather print after I had already made the ostriches, and love it. I think it adds more visual texture and personalization.

The Fab Miss B:Without revealing any trade secrets, could you walk us through the process of making these works of art? (Do you begin with sketches? Do you use patterns?)

Melinda: I usually start out with sketches, sometimes things are inspired from photos I’ve taken. Things just progress from there. Once I decide what I am making I begin designing the pattern, mapping out placement, and experimenting before I actual start. For the birds, especially, I do a lot of research before I begin. I make up all my patterns, everything is made from scratch. I like the challenge of coming up with a new pattern, to me this part of the process is the most rewarding. Then I have a hard copy and it can evolve from there.

The Fab Miss B:What do you wish you had known before you got started?

Melinda: I did a lot of research before starting, and was very thorough in my endeavor. Since the community is so small, I also tapped into the resources here, asking business owners their thoughts and suggestions.

The Fab Miss B:What advice do you have to people starting their own creative small businesses?

Melinda: My advice to a new creative business is purchase a good camera. Take pride in your work by taking effective pictures of what you’re trying to sell. Through them the online buyer experiences the item. When looking at other people’s work I am drawn to their beautiful pictures. It just shows they took the time to really care for their item and it’s another way of being artistic.
Also, just follow your bliss, you never know where it will take you.

Thank you so much Melinda! I so enjoyed learning more about you and your beautiful work!

Check out the lovelies I just scored on E-bay! (Suck it Anthropologie and your wanna be vintage dishtowels that cost $20 a piece and fall apart after being washed twice!) I’ve moved on to a stack of actual linen for $20 shipped. And never going back.

This one is definitely my favorite. This perfectly captures the playful spirit I strive for in my illustrations. To the good life of cognac, coffee and a bowl of pretty nuts!

I adore Lemon Meringue Pie. E- not so much. Since it’s up to the two of us to finish anything I bake, it’s important that he like it too. So, in his honor, I decided to try a twist on the traditional Lemon Meringue. A quick Google search yielded recipes for Pavlovas, and classic strawberry pie, but no strawberry meringue. I decided to conduct an experiment. Here are the results:

I began with my mum’s pie crust recipe- (I make it in double batches and keep it in the freezer- one never knows when one might want a pie or quiche!). I lined it with tinfoil, filled it with beans to weigh it down and pre baked it for 20 minutes at 425. There is nothing I detest more than soggy pie crust.

After letting it cool, I added a layer of lemon curd. (We can’t get too far from the original, now can we?)

Next, I sliced up two big containers of strawberries. (Is there anything lovelier than a big red berry? YUM!) I put half of them in a saucepan with 1/3 cup of sugar on medium heat to reduce. After it was bubbling, I added 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. You could probably add more if you like a thicker filling, but I prefer mine to be more like jam then jello.

I topped the filling with the remaining fresh strawberries. So purty!

Then I whipped up a batch of meringue. I just love slathering it across a pie and making the little peaks with the back of a spoon. It’s seriously fun- like building with clouds!

Finally, I baked it for 20 or 30 minutes at 350. Since everything inside was already cooked, I was really just browning the meringue. Afterward, let it cool so the strawberries can solidify- otherwise your pieces will look quite sloppy! (Says the girl who ate a horribly disfigured piece right away…)

Fin! It was excellent and I have big plans to try a few other variations- I think rhubarb would be amazing as well. What have you been baking lately?

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” -Kahlil Gibran

(Now available in my shop.)

After seeing this project on Design Sponge, I knew I’d found the perfect way to turn all the strange odds and ends in my junk drawer into an eye catching art object.

A little spray paint and hot glue turned this weird assortment of keys, safety pins, jewelery bits and who knows what…

into this hipster wall decor! I also made a tiny house, but it has yet to be mounted, so stay tuned!

Espadrilles (What I’d really like is a trip to Nice to buy a pair from a little old man by the sea.)

This vase for my desk, filled with a handful of monogrammed pencils.

A truly sumptuous feather duster.

An i-phone. (This is how I feel about it.)

Mast Brothers Chocolate Bar (preferably a big ole stack…)

What’s on your wish list? (And is it just me, or does blogging help get it out of your system a bit?)

Thanks to the lovely folks at Fave Crafts for featuring my wine cork board tutorial. Have a peek right here! I’ll be posting a version of this project here at The Fab Miss B sometime next week too.

Oh Dear. All of March slipped away without a Giveaway. So this month there will be many winners! I’ve made several copies of a cheerful mix to welcome Spring. If you’d like a copy, please leave a comment describing a favorite Spring something. I’ll choose eight winners at random and mail them this week! (Here’s the pretty cover and play list, just for fun!)

1) Springtime Jingle- Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour
2) Snow is Gone- Josh Ritter
3) A little Bird Told Me- Evelyn Knight
4) Bruises- Chairlift
5) Gathering Flowers from a Hillside- Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt
6) The Birds and The Bees- Jewel Akens
7) April in Portugal- Les Baxter
Be Gentle with Me- The Boy Least Likely To
9) I Can See Clearly Now- Johnny Nash
10) Spring Cleaning- Fats Waller
11) Swingtime in Springtime- Django Reinhardt
12) La Vie en Rose- Edith Piaf
13) Springtime- The Annuals
14) On the Street Where You Live- Dean Martin
15) You Can Never Hold Back Spring- Tom Waits
16) Zip a Dee Doo Dah- Jasper and Veronica