No. 1 on the list is the Betsey Johnson “Back to School” bracelet, complete with school supply charms!

Check out the website at http://www.betseyjohnson.com  This thing retails for 80 bucks–I better start saving right away!

I also stumbled across these cute, eco-friendly lunchboxes from http://www.gogreenlunchbox.com

These include a tiny whiteboard on the interior lid for writing notes, plus an aluminum beverage bottle.  There are several colors/prints available for boys, girls, and adults! If I didn’t already own a Batman lunch tote (complete with cape) I would definitely be ordering one of these.

Finally, I can’t wait to get my hands on some cashmere yarn for crocheting hats and scarves.  I’m planning to try http://www.theyarnco.com , as the site offers several options and a variety of prices. 

I’ve stitched three additional coptic-bound journals.  I’ve stamped the covers using some bird-themed clear stamps that I had in the craft room.  I need to get an embossing tool so that the images stand out a bit more.  I’m hoping to re-vamp my Etsy store soon, and plan to list several of these journals.  Here’s a lazily taken picture from the craft room:

This past Saturday, Mr. Buffalo and I went camping with Buffalo Homer in Lake Norden, SD.  Mr. Buffalo snapped this fab picture of a very photogenic Buffalo Homer in front of our tent:

When Mr. Buffalo and I first started hanging out, we used to frequent O’Hares Restaurant and Pub in downtown Brookings, SD.  My favorite meal was a dish called Pesto Penne, and after a few tries I came up with this easy “recipe” that tastes just like the O’Hares version.  We had this for dinner tonite.

Ingredients:
1 jar Classico basil pesto
1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced white onion
3/4 lb. penne pasta
7 oz. cooked shrimp
1/2 t crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Boil pasta until al dente.  Drain and set aside. 
2.  While pasta is cooking, empty pesto into a large pan.  Add onions and saute over medium heat until onions are tender. 
3.  Add tomatoes, red pepper, shrimp, and black olives.  Simmer on medium until heated through.
4.  Reduce heat to low/warm and add drained pasta.  Combine pasta and pesto mixture. 
5.  Serve in bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese. 

This makes enough to serve 2-4 people.  We eat this as a meal.  You can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat or serve cold for lunch.  If your shrimp have tails, you can quickly slice those off before adding the shrimp to the pesto mixture.  I use 1/2 of a 14 oz bag of frozen shrimp, and simply thaw them in cold water while the pasta is boiling.  Make sure to drain and rinse the canned tomatoes–the “juice” does not mix well with the pesto.

I have two books on bookbinding–How to Make Books by Esther K. Smith and Bookcraft by Heather Weston.  I like both; the Weston book includes a variety of beautiful books, from the very basic to the most advanced.  Unfortunately, many of the projects require professional bookbinding tools and materials, which are not exactly readily available in the cultural mecca that is Vermillion, SD.  If you’re interested, try a website like http://www.hollanders.com

Smith’s book also includes a variety of projects and a fair number of them require little more than paper and the ability to fold the stuff.  One of the intermediate projects is a book with a coptic stitch binding, which requires a simple needle and thread.  You’ve also got to be able to understand the instructions, which is usually a stumbling block for me, and was the first time I attempted a coptic stitch book. 

Today I gave it another try, with the help of this excellent YouTube tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHAJyzzb4EE

And here is the finished product!

I am ultra-excited about the results.  The book includes 42 sheets/84 pages and has hard front and back covers.  The covers are chipboard.  I got a package of pre-cut pieces in various sizes for about four dollars at a craft store.  I used embroidery thread and a needle with a large eye to sew the binding. 

Most bookbinders recommend a waxed linen thread.  Although the embroidery thread was a bit hard to work with at first–lots of knots and tangles–it eventually became easier to handle.  I block-printed the walleye on the cover using a stamp I carved myself.  I recently made some notecards for my aunt using the same stamp, and I think he looks nice on the chipboard cover! If you’re interested in block printing, the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts (I love it) has a helpful introduction.  I got started with the Speedball Water-Based Block Printing Starter Set, which includes everything you need to get started carving and stamping! You can order a kit for less than twenty bucks at http://www.dickblick.com

I can’t wait to start on a second book! Any ideas for the cover?

I was rummaging around in my jewelry box today and found this “treasure.”  It’s one of my first beading projects, made about a year ago.

I’m working on a tutorial for a foam board headboard and an ottoman made from a plastic storage crate. 

Don’t forget about the contest!

Both feature often hilarious accounts of crafting mishaps.  Handmade Gone Wrong also posts photos and commentary on some of the “quirky” handmade items for sale on Etsy and other websites. 

I recently learned how to crochet.  One of my first projects was a basic single crochet dishcloth/potholder.  I’ve actually been using these as trivets, and they work well!

After making a couple of basic stocking cap hats, I got confident and figured I could handle anything, and based on this photo, I think I was right:

In case there’s any doubt: it’s a pumpkin, and I finished it this afternoon.  It certainly fits the spirit of the websites I mentioned above.  Obviously, there are some issues in terms of proportion and shape . . . I didn’t have any polyfill stuffing on hand, so I just attached the stem without stuffing the pumpkin.  I think that was a mistake.  On a positive note, I did figure out how to do a single-crochet decrease, and I want to celebrate the user-friendly instructions for basic crochet featured in a booklet from Wal-Mart (thunder, lightning) titled I Can’t Believe I’m Crocheting! The booklet has some great instructions for single, double, and triple crochet, as well as instructions for increase, decrease, and a variety of projects.  It also has complete instructions for lefties!
The next project on my list: a stuffed animal. 

Our neighbor dropped off some fresh sweet corn last night, and it was delicious. 

Don’t forget to enter the contest! There will be another contest next month, and I’m also working on some fun prizes for the holidays.

What you can expect from The Pink Buffalo Blog:
Updates from my Etsy store
DIY project tutorials
The occassional recipe
Links and reviews of neat stuff
Chronicles of triumph and failure from my craft room*
Notes on Upper Midwestern culture, events, and travel
Contests and giveaways!

*doubles as a man cave for Mr. Buffalo, pictured below with our basset hound, Buffalo Homer. 

As an “exciting” way to launch my blog, I’ve decided to hold a contest, the winner of which will get a special prize, completely free of charge: this set of three hand bound, pamphlet-style journals/notebooks pictured below. 

To enter the contest you must guess how many pom poms are in the stemless wine glass featured in this lovely photograph:

Hint: The glass is about four inches tall, with a three inch diameter. 

Rules:
Submit your guess by commenting on this post, or email your guess to me at thepinkbuffalo@gmail.com 
Submit only one guess. 
Contest ends Tuesday 11 August 2009 at 10am central time, which is when I usually roll out of bed.  
Closest guess wins.  In the event of a tie, I will devise some sort of tiebreaker.