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November 1, 2009
Celebrate the Day of the Dead!
It's finally Dia de los Muertos, or, Day of the Dead. I've lit the candles on my shrine, and reflected and celebrated the lives of my loved ones who have passed on. This year the holiday has been particularly rewarding due to the crafty energy that I put into my altar. I have loved looking at the images and stories submitted to the Crafty Chica Challenge, there are truly moving pieces of art posted. The special emotions and memories that have been shared in the flickr pool are just amazing. Enjoy life, everyone!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 1, 2009 06:00 PM
Contests, Halloween, Holiday projects |
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Matryoshka Doll Costume
It's too late for this year, but I'm filing this life-sized matryoshka doll costume from The Happy Zombie away for next year. Especially if I can get my kids to be the smaller nesting dolls .....
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Nov 1, 2009 03:00 PM
Halloween |
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CRAFT Flickr Pool Weekly Roundup
This week in the CRAFT Flickr pool we saw:
LED Necklace by Sunset Spark!,
Portrait of an Octopus by Tara H.,
June and Prince by donovanbeeson,
and Rawr Max by Eclectic Circle. Nice costumes, everyone!!
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 1, 2009 11:45 AM
Halloween, Roundups |
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Felt Cafe Japan
Our friend Liz of Felt Cafe has started Felt Cafe Japan a resource for Japanese crafting. Pictured above is a natural wool class at one of her favorite wool stores in Kyoto. Here, Liz dyed wool with gobaishi, a japanese gall.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 1, 2009 10:00 AM
Japanese Crafts |
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Plaid Fascinator
You know how when you are supposed to be working on a specific project, like say, sewing your costume for a party? And instead all you want to do is make hair accessories? I was caught in that conundrum today. While the task at hand was a last minute outfit, I instead became inspired, and singularly focused, on a little plaid fascinator made from some costume jewelry, a bit of tulle, and a clip. It's so easy, just choose a fabric scrap, sew some ruffles on, add a pin, and glue the whole thing to a clip. Now if only I can think of a costume to go with my new hair piece! Check out a picture of it on my head after the jump.
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 31, 2009 06:00 PM
Fabric, Fashion |
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Cocktail: Bloody Brain Shooter
Happy Halloween everybody! If you're having a party and looking to gross out your guests, try this bloody brain shooter cocktail recipe. It uses a little lime juice to curdle some Irish cream that you apply to the shot with a straw to make brain-like strands. Add a touch of grenadine "blood" for a final touch. [Thanks, Fil!]
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 31, 2009 11:00 AM
Food, Halloween |
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Happy Halloween!
Hope you have a wonderful Halloween today! Enjoy the costumes, parties, and candies. I am probably going to go eat a whole handful of candy corn now.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 31, 2009 07:00 AM
Halloween |
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Princess' Peacock Costume
My friend Princess de la Rosa had her mind set on being a peacock this Halloween and she did a fabulous job of hand-crafting her costume. To make the signature peacock tail, she started with an ordinary paper and bamboo fan. She cut out a piece of cardstock in the shape of the paper portion of the fan when open. She hot-glued the cardstock on to the backside, and had her canvas to work with. She then layered peacock feathers on the framework until she achieved the full look she wanted. She used gold-sequined elastic to construct straps for the feathered fan and glued them in, covering it in cut flat felt. Here's a view from the back:
And here's a shot of it from the front. Her back would be to this side and she would put the straps on like a backpack:
To finish the outfit off, she took two bright blue boas and glued them onto a band of fabric to craft the peacock's skirt. She added additional sequined accessories to tie the look together. She looks perfect! And this is a shot from the test run only. Can't wait to see her tomorrow in full regalia.
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Oct 30, 2009 05:00 PM
Halloween |
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How-To: Eat a Pomegranate
How-To: Eat a Pomegranate - Natures Juice Box
By Wendy Tremayne
It is pomegranate season. Starting in September and continuing through February pomegranates all over the northern hemisphere are ripening. Native to Persia, popular in the Middle East and India, the pom is now cultivated all over the world. It was not until 2002, however, when a variety of U.S. studies pointed towards the fruit's health benefits, that pomegranate juice made it to U.S. grocery shelves. Perhaps the most curious thing about the fruit's long history, evidenced in literature since the written word began, is the fact that few people know how to eat one.
There are more than 700 varieties of pomegranates. Each fruit contains 600 or more juice-encapsulating seeds that range in taste from sweet to sour (higher tannins) and in color from pale yellow to red and dark purple. The pomegranate's nutritional value includes a good deal of vitamin C, B, and potassium, as well as antioxidant properties. Studies suggest that the pom offers benefits in preventing and/or treating health conditions such as prostate cancer, diabetes, lymphoma, the common cold, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 30, 2009 04:00 PM
Food |
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How-To: Spooky Witch's Cauldron
This spooky witch's cauldron is a quick last minute Halloween decoration idea from Calli at Make it Do.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 30, 2009 03:00 PM
Halloween |
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How-To: Magic Water Bottle
Here's a fun and simple project to try this weekend! Kristin from bookhoucraftprojects shares how to make magic water bottles with just a handful of supplies you likely already have on hand. It's these simple projects that tend to keep my kids occupied for hours. How about yours?
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 30, 2009 02:00 PM
Kids |
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CRAFT Video: Hemming Pants
If you're on the shorter side of average, like me, you'll notice that pants are always too long. Learn one method to hem them in this week's CRAFT Video! This tutorial is for the beginner; don't be afraid to make this simple alteration at home. Once you have the confidence to hem your own pants, a new world of style options becomes available to you when shopping for pants. Many brands don't make a dedicated "short" length, so you're left with rolled up cuffs, a trip to the tailor's, or 20 minutes of time in your sewing room! I know which one I'd prefer. This method works for casual pants and dark wash or solid-color jeans, not dress pants. If you have a different hemming method, share with us in the comments!
Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v video.
Materials and tools:
- straight pins
- tailor's chalk (I actually cheated and used a white conte crayon)
- scissors
- ironing board and iron
- thread to match your pants
- sewing machine (I used my Singer Confidence 7470)
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Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 30, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Podcast, CRAFT Videos, Sewing |
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How-To: Doggy Ballerina Costume
I can't wait to parade my sweet boxer, Stella Baby Star, around in her ballerina costume on Halloween. She is the most social and loving pet, and she always insists on being the center of attention. Last night, as I was working on my own Halloween outfit, she looked up at me with her sad eyes that clearly seemed to say, "Brookelynn, I want to be a ballerina, will you make me a tutu, pretty please?" How could I say no? Follow my easy steps to make a tutu for your prima-donna dog! And, always remember to keep a watchful eye on any pet when they are dressed up. Oh, and treats help during fittings!
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 30, 2009 11:00 AM
CRAFT Projects, Halloween, Pets |
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Intern's Corner: Cover It with Crochet, Escama-style
Every other week, CRAFT's awesome interns tell about the projects they're building in the Craft: Labs, the trouble they've gotten into, and what they'll make next.
By Meara O'Reilly, projects intern
Ever since I found out about Brazilian craft cooperative Escama (featured in CRAFT Volume 03, "Pull-Tab Crochet") and saw some of their work at Maker Faire a couple of years ago, I've been on a thread-crocheting kick. I just love the way that the process involves a sort of functional, enterprising spirit (what can I cobble together and how do I invent the stitches to do it?) as well as a really interesting aesthetic.
Once I learned the basic stitches and figured out how to wrap them around just about any object, I was off!
Apart from making this pull-tab wallet for the CRAFT Archive and a few demonstration flowers from the article, I started covering everything I could think of: hoop earings, bracelets, and yup, recycled bra under-wire!
I'm still trying to figure out the best way to secure the ends of my crochet (I've so far used beads and glue on the end of each wire to keep the stitches on) but I love the structure of these bra-wire necklaces and I think somebody could make something really beautiful with the idea -- baby mobiles or lampshades, anyone?
Posted by Keith Hammond |
Oct 30, 2009 10:03 AM
Crochet, Fashion, Intern's Corner, Jewelry |
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Homemade Brunch: Eggs en Cocotte
Baked eggs makes a tasty brunch that's just as easy to make for six guests as it is to make for yourself. The Kitchn has some great ideas for making this preparation method your own.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 30, 2009 09:00 AM
Food |
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Halloween Door Sign For Trick or Treaters
Paul at Dude Craft wraps up his Halloween guest stories with one from Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made. Cathe shares this clever door sign for hanging alongside your candy offerings if you won't be home for trick or treaters.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 30, 2009 08:00 AM
Halloween |
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Sculptures from Packaging
Kazuma Takahashi made these little sculptures out of common packaging materials. [via BoingBoing]
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 30, 2009 07:00 AM
Arts, Paper Crafts, Recycle |
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How-To: Grover Hand Puppet
Sesame Street is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and Marie from Make and Takes created this cute Grover hand puppet in honor of her favorite character from the show. I think a little Super Grover cape to add when he's feeling heroic would be fun, too!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 30, 2009 06:00 AM
Kids |
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One Day: A Collective Narrative of Tehran
San Francisco's Intersection for the Arts is hosting a thought-provoking group exhibit that opens this upcoming Wednesday, November the 4th. From the site:
Featuring the work of eight artists living in Tehran, Iran — Nima Alizadeh, Saba Alizadeh, Mohammad Ghazali, Ghazaleh Hedayat, Abbas Kowsari, Mehran Mohajer, Neda Razavipour, and Homayoun Sirizi — alongside new work by San Francisco- based artist Taraneh Hemami, this exhibition compiles a collective narrative of everyday Tehran, the largest city in the Middle East and the 16th most populated city in the world with close to 8 million residents. Representing the current unpredictability of each day in Tehran and also the hope that comes from imagining a better future, the artists chronicle narratives of place and time, demystifying life in a country that has been misunderstood and maligned for decades.
One of the best ways to get a window into a culture is through its art. Here's to the power of art and craft to unite.
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Oct 29, 2009 05:00 PM
Arts |
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Laser Engraved Skull in Dollars
Scott Campbell made this skull art by laser engraving into dollar bills. [via who killed bambi?]
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 29, 2009 04:00 PM
Arts, Halloween |
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