Help get Mr. Dog's Christmas back in print!

Mr. Dog's Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn is a classic in our friend Betsy Cordes' family, but it's currently out of print, and hard to find. Not for much longer though!

The family have enlisted award-winning artist Adam McCauley to revive Albert Bigelow Paine's timeless tale with new illustrations, and in color no less. They've already invested a lot of love and money into the project, and are looking for a little help from their pals - and Kickstarter - to raise the remaining funds.

Watch the below to hear Betsy and her dad explain how this great Christmas tale came to be so important to their family, and how you can be involved in bringing it back into circulation.

Visit the Kickstarter project page to support the return of Mr. Dog!

 

Feel like making coasters?

We love these coasters from Memphis!

Jessie Walker is a Memphis-based non-profit consultant, who loves coasters! And we love what she does with them. Read on for the tales behind her pics.

CM: How did you find out about Coastermatic?

JW: I'm pretty sure I found Coastermatic by googling "cool things to do with Instagram pics" and voila, coasters! I ordered a set and fell in love with the smooth stone texture, and I love that even though I'm not a photographer, my pics turn out so special!

CM: What's the story behind the images on your coasters?

JW: One of my absolute favorite places in Memphis is the Memphis Farmers Market - a weekly occurrence and community-gathering place which I DO NOT miss unless I'm traveling. What could beat friendly farmers, fresh food, lively music, and the prettiest flowers? I snap a few quick pics every time I'm there, and I couldn't resist putting these bright scenes for something I'll see around the house and office every single day.

My favorite coaster is graffiti just around the corner from the Market, telling me to "Invest in good times". What better motto than that? It's on my desk at work, so when I'm stressed, I'll take a look and remind myself that good times are near :)

CM: How have friends responded to your coasters?

JW: My friends love them! I've given several as gifts because I think they're so unique. I love sharing some of my favorite pics and places with people. Bridal showers, birthdays, just because... I love making someone's day with something so distinctive and special!

 

We love hearing stories like these! Capture some of your favorite images on coasters here.

Take your best photos yet with these fun tools

As smartphone technology improves the job of the amateur photographer becomes easier and easier - and more fun. These are our top five camera accessories for smartphones, from our buddies at Photojojo. They'll help you take the best photos possible, so that your Coastermatic coasters look even better too!

The Photojojo Lens Set includes a pro-quality Fisheye, Super Fisheye, Telephoto, Wide Angle, Macro and Polarizing cellphone lens, all of which are compatible with iPhone and Android.

The Phone-o-Chrome full-spectrum color filter. This cutie fits in your wallet, and allows you to throw a filter on your photo before you take it. 

The Macro Cell Lens Band, a sturdy band with a built-in macro lens for incredibly detailed images. It works with any any mobile phone!

The Une Bobine, a super-bendy phone cable and tripod in one.

Of course, you could always cut straight to the chase and purchase Photojojo's awesome Phoneography Starter Kit. The kit includes a Wide/Macro lens, a Phone-o-chrome Phone filter, a full scholarship to Photojojo University and a pouch to hold it all.

 

Now you have your tools in order, get Instagramming so you have plenty of great shots to use for your next set of coasters!

Coaster Inception with Shawn Schmieding

Digital Media Director Shawn Schmieding opted to use photos of murals from the Bay Area as the subject of this set. Art as art, is art. Into it.

CM: How did you find out about Coastermatic?

SS: My friend Dave turned me on to Coastermatic almost a year ago. I was on the verge of a few orders in the past but never felt I had the perfect collection of images wanted to use. This past week I finished building a new coffee table made of white oak and suddenly new coasters became a very pressing need in my life.

CM: What are the images on your coasters?

SS: I wanted my coasters to have a theme. I played with numerous outdoor shots on my Instagram but kept coming back to photos I had of various murals I had taken pictures of between San Francisco and Oakland. These shots had the most color and really were just the most interesting. Plus they added a certain cool quality to my coasters that simple shots of the ocean and mountains did not.

Coastermatic coasters are an affordable, fun way to personalize a space. Create a set!

One To Watch: Street Artist JR

Instagram has made it possible for artists to share their work.. instantly. We love it when it allows us to find incredible work like this pic from Paris / NYC based street artist JR (@jr).

JR is actually the man behind Inside Out, the People's Art Project, which invites participants to gather five or more people around a single statement and to submit their portraits (as inspired by the statement). Inside Out print them as posters and return them to the group to exhibit by pasting them in their community.

The project started in 2011, after JR won the TED Prize. Since, it has inspired group actions on varied themes such as hope, diversity, gender-based violence and climate change. Nearly 200,000 people from more than 112 countries & territories have participated to date.

JR's personal work (e.g. above) is similarly powerful. By exhibiting in the streets of the world he hopes to catch the attention of people who are not typical museum visitors. His work is incredible and he documents it on Instagram.

For more on Inside Out visit www.insideoutproject.net. For more on JR go to www.jr-art.net.

 

Use your Instagram photos to create a set of Coastermatic custom coasters.