Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Craft Envy by Deborah Crombie - GIVEAWAY!

Craft Envy
Guest Post by Deborah Crombie

I have craft envy. A bad case of it. It probably started when my grandmother tried to teach me to knit. Total failure. Sewing, ditto. Even sewing on Girl Scout badges was a challenge—lots of pricked thumbs. I could never figure out how to use a thimble.

Fast forward to sensible adult. I took a weaving class because I was fascinated by the beautiful yarns. I even dreamed of having a loom in my living room, because they are so cool. Then I learned how hard it was to set up a pattern. I made one throw (which I still have) and that was it. Quits.
Then a friend who is a beautiful quilter offered to teach me to quilt. I bought fabric. Lots of fabric. That part was so much fun. (Fat quarters—what a great name!) We made a design. We cut out some little squares. I sewed two of them together. That was, um, three years ago… The fabric still waits, along with my cute little sewing kit.

Last year I made up my mind that I was going to really work at making a beautiful journal. You know, the kind with ART and WORDS. Very creative, very unique. I bought $100 worth of art supplies. I bought a nice box to put them in. And there they sit, along with my beautiful, blank, journal.
So I live vicariously through my arty, crafty, talented characters. I’ve had a watercolor painter (LEAVE THE GRAVE GREEN.) A tile maker (A FINER END.) A weaver (DREAMING OF THE BONES.) A chef and a maker of fine Scotch (NOW MAY YOU WEEP.) A designer of art deco jewelry (WHERE MEMORIES LIE.) A fabric artist (NECESSARY AS BLOOD.)

And now, in THE SOUND OF BROKEN GLASS, a brilliant guitarist. I’m not sure playing guitar counts as crafty, but it’s certainly artistic. I had a huge amount of fun learning about guitars and guitarists and what makes them tick.
And I just barely resisted the temptation to buy an electric guitar to sit in my living room. Unplayed.


The Sound of Broken Glass
Deborah Crombie
Published Feb 25, 2014

In the past…
A blisteringly hot August in Crystal Palace, a solitary thirteen-year-old boy meets his next door neighbor, a recently widowed young teacher hoping to make a new start in the tight-knit South London community. Drawn together by loneliness, the unlikely pair forms a deep connection that ends in a shattering act of betrayal. 

In the present…
On a cold January morning in London, Detective Inspector Gemma James is assigned to lead a Murder Investigation Team in South London, along with her colleague, Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot. Their first case: a crime scene at a seedy hotel in Crystal Palace. The victim: a well-respected barrister, found naked, trussed, and strangled. Is it an unsavory accident or murder? In either case, he was not alone, and Gemma’s team must find his companion--a search that leads them into unexpected new discoveries. Ultimately, they will begin to question everything they think they know about their world and those they trust most. 



DEBORAH CROMBIE is a native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland. She lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, three cats, and two German shepherds.

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12 comments:

collenga said...

I don't do crafts however my sister does and sometimes I help her.

bermudaonion said...

I try to do crafts from time to time but I'm not very good at any of them!

lag123 said...

I love to quilt.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

Carol M said...

I tried cross stitching and knitting when I was young. I didn't do very well with the knitting and I lost interest in the cross stitching. Thank you for the giveaway!

mittens0831 at aol dot com

Linda Kish said...

I used to do needlepoint, cross stitch and crochet until I developed carpal tunnel syndrome among other things and now I can't do them anymore.

traveler said...

I don't do crafts but did cross stitch when I was young and enjoyed it. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Vicki said...

I feel your pain! My mom could sew, crochet, knit, needlepoint, quilt...anything crafty. She also had a green thumb and could bring a plant that had been dead for a month back to life. My 3 sisters were crafty, but not as much as my mom. Even my brother was a little crafty. Me? One time I made a skirt in Home Ec. When I took it home, my mom had to redo it. My version didn't even look like a skirt. Can you see me hanging my head?

rhonda said...

I knit but not passionate about it.

Anita Yancey said...

I haven't done any crafts recently. But I like to sew, crochet, and do needlepoint. Thanks for having the giveaway.

ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com

Olivia's Catastrophe said...

I haven't done many crafts either. I am in love with needlework and I hope to do some. I play harp and draw, but my painting skills have yet to arrive. I do do small crafts though. Crafting is fun! I'm sure you could build it up if you start with something small :)

I haven't read this yet, but it sounds seriously good from what you've mentioned. I do hope it's better than the Hunger Games though, because I was kind of disappointed there. I'm really looking forwards to it. Great review, because you managed to get me excited!

Check out my book review of a good old classic: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2014/02/a-high-wind-in-jamaica-book-review.html

rubynreba said...

I like to sew quilt tops, do needlework, and repurpose things that look like junk but can be made into amazing things!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Chèli said...

I often listen to an audio book while working on my counted Cross stitch.

I love to be able to do two things I love at the same time!

Cheli
http://chelisshelves.blogspot.com
cyderry@yahoo.com

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