our first diy, craft, food and creative business magazine

I’ve carried a sketchbook with me pretty much everywhere for the past 20 years. It isn’t just a place to draw. It’s a journal, a place to work out thoughts on a short story, or brainstorm ideas for a new business or craft project. It’s the occasional recipient of lengthy to-do lists and it always contains at least one life list, things I want to accomplish that month, year, or even before I leave this precious life. And I use my sketchbook for collage, my first crafting love. Collaging remains one of my most beloved artistic things to do with my hands.

The magazine; it is the most important supply for my collaging. It doesn’t have to be a fancy one. In a pinch I’ve found things to cut and paste from the AARP magazine or a pamphlet on healthy eating, found in a doctor’s office waiting room. My favorites, though, are design, art, craft, lifestyle, business, and alternative women’s magazines (Anyone remember Sassy Magazine?).

In the past few years I found myself spending more time reading blogs, online publications and Pinterest and less time with my first loves; magazines and my sketchbook. The shiny internet wooed me but something was missing from this new relationship. As much as I love digital media, I have this strong desire to actually touch the things I’m reading and looking at. I realized I had a magazine-shaped hole in my heart.

So, I ended my Pinterest-fueled magazine subscription hiatus and renewed with some of my favorite printed publications. I also bought a brand new sketchbook and made a promise to myself to once again to use my sketchbook for non-work things like drawing and collaging.

I have a deep-rooted love affair with magazines. It’s not just about finding content for my sketchbook. It’s the combination of words and images. I love the feeling of holding a collection of people’s creativity in my hands. I love not knowing what an issue contains. I love finding out about new people, places, and things. Most of all, I love cutting my favorite bits and pasting them in my sketchbook.

So, despite an overflowing Patchwork and Craftcation workload, I said “yes” when my friend Maggie from Blurb asked if Delilah and I wanted to produce a magazine for creatives. Our first magazine, patchwork show: living and working from scratch is the product of Maggie, Delilah and my efforts, laboring late into the night after our other work was done. It’s also the fruit of the labor of so many talented individuals who were generous enough to share their years of expertise. From inspirational articles like our interview with Kari Chapin to tutorials like Kayte Terry’s ‘Stitch in Time Envelopes’ to Sé Reed’s technical tips on building a website, and Evan Kleiman’s recipe for the perfect pie… we’ve gathered insight from industry experts to help you live and work from scratch.

Want to get your hands on the Patchwork Show Magazine and all of its 70 page full color glossy awesomeness? Lucky you, its now for sale in our online shop right here. Once you get it, feel free to take a pair of scissors to it.

-Nicole S.

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7 Comments

  1. I’m sooo excited for you all – congrats! Such an awesome looking mag with shiny glossy pages . I love magazines and cutting in fact I think magazine collages are my fav things ever! Can’t wait to read it

  2. Nicole and Delilah, I am so happy for all you’ve learned, all you’ve done, all you’ve shared, all you’ve taught, all you’ve inspired. I miss the little classes at The Road Less Traveled in that cute little space on Main Street. I miss seeing your precious faces practically whenever I wanted to pop in the store or take a class. Well, all I can say is my loss is many, many, many, many people’s gain, so I’ve learned to live with it graciously:) Congratulations on your new magazine and all the other ceilings you keep bursting through with smiles on your faces, blooming like the sun shines right on you and the rain is there just when you’re thirsty:) Keep being you! It’s fabulously inspiring and wonderful to see:)

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