Craft:

Archives: August 2006

August 31, 2006

Craft studio inspiration - create a fabric wall

Our CRAFT friend Cassi Griffin of Bella Dia recently redecorated her craft studio into a completely drool worthy mecca of crafting heaven. Take a look at the inspiration. Link.


She also created these fabric panels to decorate the room and just posted up a tutorial on how you can make these yourself. Link.

More:
Flickr group: Craft Rooms - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 31, 2006 04:07 PM
Paper Crafts, Recycle | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

Doknit - knitted donut pattern

Mmmm...donuts. Why does this look oh so ever appetizing even though it's made out of yarn? ax174 says, "If you like knitted food, you'll love the free donut pattern by rogue knitter, Matie Trewe - she of the squid hat and knitted digestive tract patterns. I've knitted this pattern many times (results here, as have many other bloggers (e.g. here). It's a nice, quick knit, and is seamless too." Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 31, 2006 01:53 PM
Amigurumi and Toys, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Knitted hand sanitizer cozy

Andrea of SpinnySpinny shows you how to make a fun knitted drawstring cozy for your hand sanitizer. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 31, 2006 12:40 PM
Knitting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Clothespin Dolls

Recently, Kath at Whip Up did a post on clothes pins and it reminded me of these wonderful dolls that my friend and crafter Chrissa Banner makes. I love the accompanying sets she creates so the dolls really fit in a scene. She was inspired by the children's book series,"The Borrowers" and because of her I've almost read them all. There's something fascinating about a small world you can create and how it can emerge from something so simple as a wooden clothes pin. Link.

Chrissa says "These photos are from a birthday story I made for a friend involving a magic present - a handbag - that whisked her around the world on a birthday adventure. Fritz the cat went along, too." Link.

Here's a close up of another one of Chrissa's clothespin dolls based on one of our friends and her brand Lulu Bliss. From her own flickr Clothespin Portraits group. Link.

More Clothespin Dolls

The Small Object Steno Pad makes some cute clothes pin dolls for sale. At left is No. 403 Ric Puffy Rac and at right is No. 399 Sweater Bird. See the flickr photo group of all of The Small Object's pieces. Link.

Vintage handmade peg doll from Kath's blog, red current. Lots of resources here on how to make your own clothes pin dolls. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 31, 2006 11:38 AM
Amigurumi and Toys | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

More T-Shirt Options: Stencils and Dishwasher Detergent

David Harris sent in some pics of tshirts he made, both are innovations of the bleach idea from my podcast. Way to go David!

So here are two shirts I made inspired by the spray bleach idea. A
couple of months ago I started getting into the whole stencil art
thing and I had made several out of strong paper, after a couple coats
of spray paint these things will hold up to most anything -- including
bleach it seems.

The first is a stencil of my wife -- using sprayed bleach.

The second, i brushed on cheap-ass knock off cascade over the stencil
and left it on for 15-20 minutes, I like the subtle globbiness of it.

Posted by Bre Pettis | Aug 31, 2006 09:51 AM
Sewing | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

Sticker Stencils

Lenore says, "I thought you might like our how-to on painting using stickers for masking. Demonstrated with pin boxes and a lunchbox used for sewing supplies. Would be perfect for personalizing your psp carrying case." Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 31, 2006 08:45 AM
Paper Crafts | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

August 30, 2006

Super Eggplant's Tote Bags 101

One of the founders of Super Buzzy (seller of great Japanese fabrics) is Super Eggplant and her tutorial on how to make tote bags is the best. You'll be making lined tote bags in no time! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 30, 2006 05:45 PM
Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

The Soft Electric by Grace Kim

The Soft Electric is an exploration in wearable fashion technology, designed by Grace Kim for her final thesis project at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Grace knit and felted the caplet by hand and embroidered the piece with conductive thread. The thread carries electric current to LEDs that are beaded into the embroidery. The LED beads flicker, acting like a sequin in the light. Link.

To help you get started in creating wearables yourself, Grace was nice enough write up an idea for a smaller project and she also posted up 2 of her tutorials on her flickr. Thanks Grace!

Tips from Grace:
One could make a simple LED bracelet using one LED, some wire, and a 3V coin cell battery. Twist each leg of the LED with a length of wire (make sure each leg is wrapped with a different piece of wire, so you don't short the LED out), wrap the wires around your wrist, then tape the wires to the corresponding sides of the battery. Instant, though somewhat crude, bracelet!

However, if you wanted to make a little softer and more wearable, you could substitute the wire for conductive thread. Curve the legs of the LED with roundnose pliers so they form loops. Whip a length of conductive thread around each loop a few times, then knot, leaving long tails. From here, you can do several things: you can sew the thread to a length of ribbon, felt, or leather to make wristband, make a soft battery holder for a more secure power connection, and make a power switch by using a metal snap to connect the line to ground. You could also get a little fancy and embroider the conductive thread on the surface of the band or use an LED sequin instead of the standard, round-top LED.

The most important thing is to start with a simple circuit. Get the technical aspects working, no matter how crude it looks, then slowly substitute hard components in the circuit with soft materials. Once you've done that, go back and rethink your circuit, shrinking the number of electronic components or rethinking the placement of elements on your board. Then rethink some of your soft materials. The hard electronics will inform the soft components and vice versa.

It took about a month for me to finish the capelet. It took 3 days to knit and felt the capelet and about forever to embroider it and incorporate the electronic components.

Tutorials:

• How to make an LED bead (left) - Link.
• How to create a soft battery holder (right)- Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 30, 2006 04:28 PM
Fashion Tech, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

Fabric Tales - Japanese Fabrics Gallery

The online Japanese fabric store called Fabric Tales has a great gallery featuring user submissions of projects featuring the Japanese fabrics bought at the store. Pictured left is handmade dog collars made by Jacqueline Broussard and right is a Blythe doll "Pura-chan" in a Japanese kimono made by Ryoko. It's fun to browse through all the inspirational craft projects. Link

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 30, 2006 01:45 PM
Bazaar, Japanese Crafts, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Make paper beads

Natasha Fialkov has a great tutorial on making cool looking paper beads which I found through Whip Up. I love the variety of paper used from origami papers or old books. The patterns created are quite unique and colorful. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 30, 2006 11:30 AM
Jewelry, Paper Crafts | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Make keychains

Creative Little Daisy has a great tutorial on how to make super easy keychains like the ones above. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 30, 2006 10:45 AM
Sewing | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email Entry

Rubik's Cube cake

Next time there's a birthday in the house, whip up a Rubik's cube cake. It's a great way to make sure everyone gets an even slice, er, cube of cake. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 30, 2006 09:14 AM
Homemade | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

August 29, 2006

Plush You Toy Workshop

There will be a Plush You workshop at The Richard Hugo House on September 30th at 11:30am. Blair of Wise Craft will be teaching you how tomake your own "Wee" soft toy based on Hillary Lang's "Wee Wonderfuls Wee" pattern. (See all the variety in the Wee pool in flickr.) The workshop is $10 and you can email plushyouworkshop@gmail.com to sign up. Link.

More:
Plush You Show in Oct @ Schmancy - Link.
Week of Toys Interview with Kristen Rask of Schmancy - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 29, 2006 05:25 PM
Amigurumi and Toys, Events, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Dr. Jeannine Mosely building the Business Card Menger Sponge

I've posted this to the MAKE blog but I know that this will interest the Crafters too.

There's some new photos up on flickr (and in the MAKE and CRAFT flickr pools) showing the building process of Institute for Figuring exhibit, "The Business Card Menger Sponge" by Dr. Jeannine Mosely which is now on display at Machine Project (1200 D North Alvarado) in Los Angeles from August 26 - September 24, 2006 . Here Jeannine is doing some touch up surgery to the outer skin. Link. and Link.

More:
MAKE Blog post on event - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 29, 2006 03:05 PM
Arts, Paper Crafts | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Maven: Urban Design + Craft Fair, Berkeley CA Sept 9th

The idea for Maven: Urban Design + Craft Fair was born from the final project in Adjowah Brodie's graphic design class at San Francisco City College. The professor asked the class to design a two color poster that captured the essence of a place or event, and Adjowah, an Oakland based jewelry designer, made a poster for the fictitious Women of Color Crafts Fair. She loved her poster so much she wanted the fair to be real. Although she has decided not to continue with her studies in the Graphics field, Adjowah was able to make the craft fair a reality.

Maven: Urban Design + Craft Fair is an indie boutique style craft fair featuring the Bay Area's most exquisitely skilled and ultra crafty women artisans, held the second Saturday of every month, starting Saturday, September 9, from 12p.m. - 5p.m., at the corner of 1700 Dwight and McGee in Berkeley. Maven is a Hebrew word, which, loosely translated, means "One who is skilled in any field". Adjowah chose the name because she felt it best described both herself and the artists she'd met over the years at various fairs & festivals. "Off the top of my head I can name a local Soap Maven, a Felt Maven, even an Angel Maven." Adjowah describes her customers as mavens, too. "When you shop this fair, you officially become a Shopping Maven, because you will be choosing from an eclectic assortment of gifts you just can't find anywhere else. You'll be an exceptionally gifted giver."

The Maven Craft Fair seeks to promote the businesses of all women, with a special emphasis on women of color in the arts/crafts/handmade/D.I.Y. communities. The Maven Craft Fair presents the best of the best, with a strong commitment to locally handmade arts, crafts, goods and services. Although Adjowah has gracefully exited the world of graphics, she is enthusiastic about her new project and looks forward to seeing it grow. "There's nothing else like it in the East Bay." she explains. "I know a lot of great women crafty types and I already have a waiting list for the October show. There is a need for this kind of marketplace, and I'm glad to be a part of it". Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 29, 2006 01:40 PM
Events | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Simplicity - Built by Wendy Patterns

Built by Wendy is a cool clothing line by Wendy Mullin. She's teamed up with Simplicity to bring you 4 new sewing patterns under the line called "Built by YOU". [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 29, 2006 12:30 PM
Patterns, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Finding the perfect knitting needles

The knitbuddies blog has a great post on how to find the perfect knitting needles. With so much to choose from these days (even lighted ones), it could be daunting to know which one is good for your project. Knitting needles of course can be more of a personal choice so feel free to comment to this post on which ones work the best for your knitting projects. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 29, 2006 11:12 AM
Knitting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Print your own designs on fabric with an ink jet printer

Did you know you can print your own designs on fabric with your ink jet printer? Just treat your fabric to the Bubble Jet Set 2000 solution and then iron on freezer paper onto the fabric in order to run it through your printer. There are pre-cut flat sheets of freezer paper available now so they don't make your fabric curl up. Here's a pin cushion made by Hillary Lang of Wee Wonderfuls where she's printed her own design to create a custom piece. Bubble Jet Set 2000 doesn't work with some printers so check the list of compatibility. There's also Bubble Jet Rinse, to rinse out inkjet printouts or to set dyes in bleeding fabrics. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 29, 2006 10:02 AM
Bazaar, Digital Design and Photography, Printing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Sewing Kit

Robin Bowles sent us a link to a short introduction of the the must have tools for her hand-sewing projects. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 29, 2006 08:16 AM
Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

August 28, 2006

52 Projects

If you are every looking for inspiration and a way for you to get your crafty creative juices going, check out the 52 Projects blog. From the site, "52 Projects is a site dedicated to thinking outside the craft. It's all about projects and project-making. Project ideas, projects to create, projects to check out, and projects to participate in. DIY projects, homemade projects, writing projects, photo projects, projects, projects, projects... And more projects." Link.

But wait, there's more! As if creator Jeffrey Yamaguchi wasn't busy enough, there's the book, "52 Projects: Random Acts of Everyday Creativity". The projects in this book will help you expand your imagination and also help you take stock on your life. Perfect for those times when you have a serious creative block. The variety of projects are presented in a way to allow you to find your artistic side, your creative voice, or explore your self or your friends. From the beginning of the book, Jeffrey's encourages the reader to re-interpret the projects in their own way and to share it when they are done. Some of my favorite projects are #19 Write down the story of the best night of your life and Project #28 The next time it rains, collect all the discarded broken umbrellas on the streets and make something out of them! (my reinterpretation). Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 28, 2006 06:48 PM
Bazaar, Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

My Crafty Chumby

Bre, Phil, and I on the MAKE/CRAFT team are so excited to collaborate on Chumby! We each got review devices at FOO camp this weekend to check out and tinker on. My part in all this? Chumby is also a craft hacker's dream. Patterns are available for you to customize Chumby's plush interface into any kind of design imaginable. The product is not ready for prime time just yet but we are preparing to help you customize and hack your Chumby in any way we can. My Chumby named "Craftina" will be debuting some new duds one day here on the CRAFT blog. Link.

More

• MAKE Blog Post - Link.
• O'Reilly Radar Post - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 28, 2006 05:45 PM
Gadgets, Tech Accessories | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Amigurumi Chihuahua

Here's a cute amigurumi chihuahua re-interpreted and made by sami-pi from this pattern here. Thanks Bonnie! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 28, 2006 03:08 PM
Amigurumi and Toys | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Antique Pattern Library

The Antique Pattern Library is a great resource for inspiration or old patterns/designs. Most of these books are rare and are scanned in to share and celebrate the vast history of craft. Pictured here is a French crochet book from 1868 donated by Judith Combs. Topics are range in the needlecraft family from knitting, crochet, embroidery, needlepoint and more. Books listed in light grey are those that are currently being scanned and will be added to the library. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 28, 2006 01:48 PM
Crochet, Knitting, Needlearts, Patterns, Vintage | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

T-Shirt Cami

Crafter Sheila Zent who's author of Sew Teen: Make Your Own Cool Clothes sent us this great T-shirt Cami Pattern to share. You can make this tank 2 old t-shirts. The braided straps and belt make a great touch. Sheila's eXpresSew site is a great resource as well providing lots of kits, glossary of sewing terms, and patterns from no sewing/beginner to free ones as well. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 28, 2006 12:10 PM
Patterns, Recycle, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Make a Starship Enterprise out of a floppy disk

Thanks Gerrit for pointing us to a fun way to get rid of your old plastic 3 1/2" floppy disks. Turn them into the Starship Enterprise! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 28, 2006 08:41 AM
Recycle | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

August 27, 2006

CRAFT podcast pattern - Fitzpattern's Maggie Tank and Shorts

We are so excited to team up with Lisa Howdin of Fitzpatterns to bring you the weekly patterns via CRAFT on iTunes.

Here's our second cool pattern from Fitzpattern, the Maggie tank top and girl's "stubbies" shorts. A great quick and easy project to make.

The Maggie pattern is sized Medium. If you need another size (Small or Large) please visit the Maggie Pattern page. - Link.

Garment measurements for this 'Medium are:
Bust 88.4cm (33.75 in)
Hips: 90.8cm (35.7 in)
Upper Thigh (1): 64cm (25.2 in)

Click here to get the PDF (and other CRAFT content) delivered automatically via iTunes - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 27, 2006 10:41 AM
CRAFT Podcast, Patterns, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

August 26, 2006

Make Podcast: Weekend Projects - DIY T-Shirt Designs

In celebration of the new craftzine magazine and blog, I have created a podcast to teach three ways to make your own t-shirt designs.

When you make your own tshirt designs upload them to the craft flickr pool!

Make sure to go check out the instructional post too!

Click here to get the video (MP4) delivered automatically with iTunes. This video will play on PC/Mac/Linux/PSPs and iPod video devices. Also for your viewing pleasure - HD, 3gp, 3g2, Youtube, Google, and Blip.

Posted by Bre Pettis | Aug 26, 2006 09:40 AM
| Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Weekend Projects: DIY T-shirt Designs

This week, I've put together an instructional pdf for three different ways to make t-shirt designs.

Download it, or subscribe in itunes and have it downloaded automatically!

This is what my bunny-vader t-shirt design looked like before rinsing and after!

I really want to see the shirts that you design! Make sure if you make your own t-shirt designs that you upload them to the flickr craft pool!

Posted by Bre Pettis | Aug 26, 2006 09:37 AM
| Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

August 25, 2006

Stitch N' Pitch in Chicago on Saturday

Summer's not quite over yet. We still have a few more Stitch N' Pitches to go starting off this Saturday in Chicago with the White Sox. Here's a shot of some knitters from the Texas Rangers game. Check out the summer baseball crafts post I did earlier this summer for some creative project ideas you can take with you to the ballpark. For tickets and more information, visit the Stitch N' Pitch site. Link.

Here are the remaining Stitch N' Pitch games for the season:
Sept 2 - San Diego Padres
Sept 9 - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Sept 9 - Arizona Diamondbacks
Sept 10 - Cincinati Reds
Sept 13 - Cleveland Indians
Sept 17 - Atlanta Braves

I've also posted up more Stitch N' Pitch photos, more from the SF Giants game as well as the Pirates and Rangers games. Thanks to Barbara Paley, co-commissoner of the Stitch N' Pitch events, as well as Randy Fong of the Knitting Yarn Store for giving me their photos to post.

Stitch N' Pitch: SF Giants Photos - Link.
Stitch N' Pitch: Pirates and Rangers Photos - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 05:03 PM
Events, Needlearts | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Casting for a new documentary on So Cal Crafters

Hi Crafters, here's a quick note from Blake Levin who's about to produce a new documentary and needs some Southern California crafters.

From Blake Levin: We are currently casting for a new documentary series about the women who make up the SoCal craft scene. We are looking for women who are passionate about being a crafter and who are trying to create their own independent business out of their work.

We are looking for outgoing, fun and above all, real and honest people that would feel comfortable sharing all aspects of their lives with us, from the creation of new craft items to a night out on the town with their friends.

If you are interested in being a part of the project, please send an email to CrafterDocumentary@gmail.com. Please include a recent photograph of yourself as well as a sample of some of your recent craft work. Any other questions about the project can be sent to this email address as well.

Information on the Executive Producer:
Blake Levin is an accomplished Writer, Producer and Director. Some of his recent projects include the Emmy Award winning "10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America" for The History Channel, "Flip That House" for TLC, "30 Days" for FX and "Switched" for ABC Family.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 03:33 PM
Announcements | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Knit Cupcake

Keeping with our knit food today, here's a knit cupcake pattern, that's seamless! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 02:10 PM
Knitting | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email Entry

Katherine Wakid's digital quilt

Created by Katherine Wakid of California College of the Arts in San Francisco, Stitchories explores the nature of craft in our technology world. The digital quilt is a cotton blanket with a built-in computer that can upload photos and record spoken narratives. Stitchories received an Honorable Mention in ID magazine's 2006 Student Design Review. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 01:43 PM
Arts | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Phyllo Cups

From "computer geek gone chef and back again" Joseph show us how easy it is to make phylo pastry dough cups. He says "Have you ever been to a party and seen fancy appetizers served in phyllo cups? They look good, don't they? I bet you're wondering how to make those. This tutorial walks you through making a batch of phyllo cups, ready to use to impress your friends." Link.

More:
Fun with Phyllo - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 12:15 PM
Homemade | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Knit a slice of pizza

I still love the whole food theme that's been happening in crafts lately. Here's a pattern for you to knit up your own slice of pizza. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 11:30 AM
Knitting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Make kids wristbands with no sewing

This looks like a fun project to work with kids on and the no sewing makes it all the more easier! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 10:45 AM
Jewelry | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Quilted cards

Here's a great tutorial on making quilted fabric cards from craft apple (I'm loving this craft blog now). What a great way to use up all those fabric scraps to make some unique cards. I love the zig zag stitching used in some of the pieces. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 25, 2006 09:47 AM
Paper Crafts, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

August 24, 2006

Craft art inspiration now in NY galleries

by Arwen O'Reilly

I first started noticing craft infiltrating the tony Chelsea galleries in NYC a few years ago (beautiful embroidered paintings by Ghada Amer, felted clothing by Andrea Zittel), but now I'm starting to think that the gallery scene is getting to be a craft destination! I stopped by some galleries on my way back from Eyebeam (a technology and art gallery we've worked with for MAKE, for those of you who don't know it) and saw this amazing crocheted sculpture by Xenobia Bailey.

It's the first piece you see (it almost yanked me in off the street) in a group show called "Six Degrees of Separation 2," which is intended to explore "self-reflection, repetition, loss and the decay of cultural memory." Xenobia Bailey's crocheted tent, "Sistah Paradise Great Wall of Fire Revival Tent" from 1999, is astonishing: part Rasta hide-out, part bedouin tent, part revivalist sanctuary, it pushed all my buttons at once as well as just plain taking my breath away at the detailed craftsmanship. Definitely worth checking out. Bailey's other work (not on display at the moment, but you can see it on the Stux Gallery's webpage) is also crocheted, but they're psychedelic wall hangings that remind me of African weavings, hippie mandalas and fractal geometry. The tent can be seen Tuesdays through Sundays until September 9th.

One block up, at the James Cohan Gallery on 26th St, Alison Elizabeth Taylor will be showing her amazing inlaid wood paintings from September 7-September 30. Inspired by the wood inlay in the Studiolo at the Metropolitan museum (also well worth seeing), Taylor has been reinterpreting this ancient medium, and instead of lutes, books, saints and statesmen, she shows the kind of people you or I might hang out with: a girl chatting on her cellphone outside a geodesic dome house, someone playing video games in their underwear, two kids hanging out by the side of the road with their car. I saw a piece of hers in a group show at James Cohen last month, and now she gets her own show! The colors are understandably fairly muddy and tending towards brown, but there's a depth to the wood that is incredible, and the subject matter plays nicely with the weighty material she uses. (There's an article on Taylor in the September Vogue if you want to find out more about her.)

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 06:30 PM
Arts, Crochet, Events | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Sew Subversive: book + party

The Sew Subversive Book (just $10.17 on Amazon) is a must have for your craft bookshelf. Authors and Crafters Hope Meng, Melissa Rannels, and Melissa Alvarado own the cool sewing studio and workshop, Stitch Lounge in San Francisco. These three stylish ladies are known for their sewing expertise and funky style. In this book, they show you how to refashion anything old you have in your closet, into something new that's wearable and fun. You'll not only have the basics of sewing down, you'll learn the tips, tricks, and style basics that will give you the foundation for more creative sewing. From setting up your sewing station to creative storage tips, you'll get the skinny on all the tools of the trade. Learn how to refashion a t-shirt, ruffle up a skirt, detail up a boring pair of pants, and cut up old sweaters into just about anything. One of the major lessons I learned from this book is to not be afraid to use my scissors or make mistakes. Go for it and have fun with it. Sometimes, it's those little mistakes that will give you the unique look you never knew was there. Sew Subversive will enhance your sewing creativity and allow you to be your own DIY fashionista. Link.


It was a fun night after work last night where I met up with Kirk and Sarah (MAKE/CRAFT designers) at Stitch Lounge to celebrate Hope, Melissa, and Melissa's new book Sew Subversive. The party was a lot of fun with drinks, yummy apps, cool beats by the DJ and a raffle! Unfortunately, none of us won anything but some lucky lady won the grand prize, a Janome sewing machine! - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 05:14 PM
Bazaar, Events | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Robot pendant

These are some cool robot pendants by Izik Levy that CRAFT friend Bonnie got us hooked on. Each robot is carefully sculpted by hand using a torch and moretti glass rods. A tiny heart is embedded into the chest of every robot. Ten percent of sales of these robot pendants will be donated to the SickKids Foundation. Link.

More:
Glass Working - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 04:59 PM
Bazaar, Jewelry | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Superbuzzy

There's a new online fabric shop called Superbuzzy that specializes in cute Japanese craft imports. We should have known since the site is brought to us by a couple of our favorite craft blogs Super Eggplant and Buzzville. There are lots of great fabrics in cool prints, notions, and Clover craft tools. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 02:05 PM
Bazaar, Japanese Crafts | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Chocolate bath truffles

Trisha says, "These Chocolate Bath Truffles look good enough to eat. I love stuff that looks like fake food!" Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 12:05 PM
Homemade | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Make iPod ad silouettes from your photos

I'm not saying you should go out and pose with your iPod here but this tutorial on making photo silhouettes in Photoshop is a great way to start having fun with some of your photos to make cool cards or prints. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 11:15 AM
Digital Design and Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Pong dress

Forget your Sony PSP or Nintendo DS, the Pong dress let's you wear and play your game. Two retro-game consoles can be plugged into the dress while you view the game on the 5X7 LED area on the front of the dress. On display at pong.mythos in Berlin, Germany, designers Max Moswitzer and Magarete Jahrmann of the Ludic Society explores the boundaries of body and screen with their Pong Dress. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 10:41 AM
Fashion Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Geometrical plastic jewelry

If you are lucky enough to have a chance to go to Tokyo, swing by the deux poissons gallery in Ebisu where there is currently a collection of jewelry and bags by German jewelry designer Svenja John. Her amazing work composes of pieces of different colored plastics which are interlocked into intricate looking 3D puzzles. Read more about her crafty design work in the Ping Mag article. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 24, 2006 09:35 AM
Arts, Jewelry | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

August 23, 2006

Etsy + CRAFT Contest Winners!

Thank you to Etsy and also to all the Crafters who made and submitted their projects as a part of the Etsy + Craft contest! We can't tell you how excited and how much fun the team has had looking over all the fantastic entries. In the presence of such talent, we must admit it was a very hard decision for each of the CRAFT editors to pick the final 5 winners which today we are happy to announce.

Drumroll please...

Interactive Pendant by KathrynRiechert - Link.

"I chose the Interactive Pendant. I think it's a beautiful necklace, with an antique as well as modern look. But more than that, it has a couple of built-in games you can play, which is unexpected and gives it the kind of dimension in a craft that I love."

Carla Sinclair, Editor-in-Chief of CRAFT

Outta This World Cigar Box Purse by EmotionalBaggage - Link.

"I was amazed by both the number of entries and the creativity represented in every conceivable craft medium. It was so hard to choose! I ended up choosing the Outta This World Cigar Box Purse as my favorite because I loved the repurposing angle, the inclusion of aliens and 1950s kitsch, and, of course, the tiny CRAFT cover placed in the image. Using computer technology, recycling, clever imagery, and clever words will always win me over!"

Shawn Connally, Managing Editor of CRAFT

Crafts DO Grow on Trees by fellNward - Link.

"Let the creativity overfloweth! I was really floored by all the entries, but particularly drawn to Julia and Cara's because it represents the melding of so many different media, all in homage to the greatest crafter of all -- the big mama, Nature. I also really love the fact that these crafty ladies collaborate on their art. So crafty!"

Goli Mohammadi, Associate Managing Editor of CRAFT

Betty the Retro Robot Waitress Serving up CRAFT on a Platter by Artsy - Link.

"This entry conveys all that I love -- 50's, robots, vintage, tea cups, diners, and crafting. This a great retro and yet modern interpretation of what our CRAFT logo and cover represents."

Natalie Zee, Associate Editor of CRAFT

Geisha Tote by enamor - Link.

"I love this interpretation of the CRAFT logo because it was so unexpected, and got me thinking about the long line of crafters that have gotten us to where we are now. Even though the geisha with her CRAFT scroll is really funny, it's also a wonderful reminder of our history. The painting is absolutely beautiful, and it cracks me up to see that hot pink logo on a scroll!"

Arwen O'Reilly, Staff Editor of CRAFT

The winners here will be featured in the special Etsy ad for Vol. 1 of CRAFT! Congratulations winners and thank you to everyone who participated!

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 23, 2006 05:08 PM
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West Coast Art Car Fest

The West Coast's largest gathering of Art Cars will be happening soon in the next few weeks around the Bay Area from September 14-16. Check out the schedule to see exact location on dates. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 23, 2006 03:05 PM
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Star Wars fairisle knitting patterns

The Star Wars fairisle patterns by Sarah Bradberry are a perfect embellishment to any sweaters or scarves you'll be knitting soon for fall. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 23, 2006 01:51 PM
Knitting | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

Dye yarn with Kool-Aid

From the Knitty archives, here's a fun way to dye your own yarn with Kool-Aid (yes that's right). Kool-Aid dyeing works only on animal fibers: wool, mohair, and alpaca. It doesn't work on cotton or synthetics, though, so use pure wool yarn for best results. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 23, 2006 12:45 PM
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POSCH - Reusable shopping bags

Designer Luce Beaulieu of Montreal, Canada designs a product line called POSCH which are reusable shopping bags made from vintage bedsheets and pillowcases. The bags come in two models, one is a handbag and the other is an adjustable shoulder strap back that can allow for up to 40 lbs of groceries to be carried comfortably. The environmentally conscious Luce won an Honorable Mention with the designs at "Closing the Loop", Canada's first Sustainable Design competition.

From the Sustainable Design site, "On average, it takes four trips to the supermarket for a family to accumulate 60 plastic bags that will be buried in landfills and pollute the earth and water for 500 years before they finally decompose. Throughout their lifecycle, plastic bags are one of the worst offenders in terms of greenhouse gas emissions."

Luce Beaulieu
Website/Blog (in English and French) - Link.
POSCH Etsy Shop - Link.
Flickr - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 23, 2006 10:24 AM
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First Annual Plummies

Looks like there's a new award in town for the crafting world and it's called the Plummies. Vote for all your crafting favs from now until August 31. Winners will be announce on Sept 1. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 23, 2006 07:05 AM
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August 22, 2006

Recycled sweater bags

I've posted a few tutorials on how to felt an old sweater into a bag, but Alicia of Posie gets Cozy has made some really cute ones recently complete with fun buttons, pocket stitchery, and quilted linings. Link.

More:
Recycled sweater bags in 30 min - Link.
Make a sweater arm scarf - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 22, 2006 05:32 PM
Felting, Recycle, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - make a fabric wallet

Here's a great quick project and a way you can get rid of some of your fabric scraps -- make a fabric wallet. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 22, 2006 03:30 PM
Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - make a photo collage tissue box

Shelterrific has the tutorial on how to make this photo collage tissue box cover. This project is an excerpt from the new book, Photocraft: Cool Things to do with the Pictures you Love by Laura Lovett. From the description, it looks like a great project based book with lots of ideas on how to turn your photos into quilts, scarves, shower curtains, or folding screens. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 22, 2006 01:49 PM
Digital Design and Photography, Paper Crafts | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Jewelry maker Danielle Maveal

Jewelry maker Danielle Maveal makes interesting unique pieces of jewelry, some of which she etches into sterling silver. Here's a mini-interview where I talked to her about her etching and jewelry making process.


Danielle Maveal
Website - www.daniellemaveal.com
Flickr - daniellemaveal

Nat: Can you tell our CRAFT blog readers what kind of process you go through with your etching? What other kinds of jewelry techniques do you do and can you share a little tip?

Danielle: Despite the mess you'll see my studio in I really love clean and simple design. When creating my Happiness series of etchings, I wanted to use kitschy sort of images that represented joy and I had to figure out how to make these pieces affordable yet professional and impeccibly made. I started etching and playing with different types of acids, resists, transfer methods and proportions and came up with these simple squares and ovals. I decided to use a etching resist used to make computer circuit boards called PNP blue paper. (Now I'm giving all my secrets away!) You can print your design right onto this paper and then using heat transfer the resist to the metal. Once I got the technique and acid ratio down I was in a mini-production and thanks to the demand I make a few batches of these pendants a week. (I still get so much joy from peeling away that PNP paper and seeing a perfectly transfered image.)

I am not a one-trick pony though! (No offense to ponies.) I love working with acrylic plexiglas and there are few artist that work with this medium. I have spent the last couple of years tearing that stuff apart - fusing it, forming it, sawing, drilling, layering and just loving the colors and shapes I can get from this stuff. If you have a weekend to try out a new medium run down to your local sign shop and ask for some plexiglas scraps ... get a jewellers saw and cut out some shapes, drill it, file it, pop it in the oven at 310f and form it before it cools - sand the edges down with a fine emery paper when you are finished. Oh and heres a little tip - two sheets of plexiglas chemically bond with plain old superglue!

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 22, 2006 01:45 PM
Jewelry | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

2006 Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest

Take a look at some of the amazing wedding dresses created out of toilet paper in the 2006 Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest. The rules were simple -- only toilet paper, glue and tape could be used in making the dress. This dress created by Hannah Kim won 2nd place and $200. The detail of the overall design, layering, and ruffles are simply amazing. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 22, 2006 11:13 AM
Paper Crafts, Refashion | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Pointy Kitty pattern from Hillary Lang

Melissa says, "Free pdf pattern to print out to make your own pointy kitty soft toy out of fabric scraps. There's a flickr stream with hundreds of happy (and pointy) kitties and I thought this would work well with your toy week stuff." Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 22, 2006 10:30 AM
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Post-It Art Show

Those mulit-colored squares aren't just for quick notes anymore as you can see at the Post-Deux show that started this past weekend and will run through Sept 13th at Giant Robot (2062 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles). Pictured left is a photo of the event and right is a Post-It piece by Susie Ghahremani of boygirlparty. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 22, 2006 08:56 AM
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August 21, 2006

Michelle Caplan - mixed media collage artist

J. Weinberger writes, "Michelles collages are haunting and strong. You have never seen anything like them! She also has all kinds of products based on her work. I am addicted to the lip balms! Her etsy shop is jam packed." See more photos of her work on her flickr. Pictured here is a commissioned piece as part of the Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 21, 2006 06:38 PM
Arts, Digital Design and Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Fallen Fruit's Public Jam in LA

MAKE Editor-in-Chief Mark Frauenfelder went to Fallen Fruit's Public Jam on Sunday in LA for the communal jam-making session. Participants brought their own home-grown or public fruit to contribute to the communal jam. See Mark's flickr photos of the event. Link.

More:
Jam recipies - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 21, 2006 05:15 PM
Events, Homemade | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Knit a pirate dice bag

Kim says, "This is the best gaming item ever. It's a hand knit dice bag with a golden pixelated skull on it. The skull pattern on the bag was taken from Diesel Sweeties, one of my favorite webcomics." Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 21, 2006 04:23 PM
Knitting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Bags made from recycled skateboads

Focused in the UK makes unique looking handbags out of broken old skateboards. You can purchase these cool bags or you can sell them bits of your broken skateboard. The philosophy behind Focused from their site, "It is this idea of finding beauty in the most unexpected places that has brought about the use of skateboards and other recycled products in what we consider to be a beautiful outcome." [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 21, 2006 03:30 PM
Recycle | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

HOW TO - make a bound journal

Steph Hung of Curiously Crafty has posted up a great tutorial on making handbound journals on Whip Up. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Aug 21, 2006 02:02 PM
Paper Crafts