Craftzine.com blog: April 2007 Archive

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Archives: April 2007

April 30, 2007

Hungry Softies

Just like the animal kingdom, the softies out there in plush-land have to deal with mother nature, of course all in good humor. Here's a Sleepy snake with toupee eating mouse with toupee by Mochimochi Land. See the rest of the hungry softies over at Softies Central. Link.

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls - Online Auction

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is a one-week summer day camp. Campers learn how to play musical instruments, write songs, perform their own music, do workshops, make band t-shirts, buttons, and costumes, and generally rock out. This NYC non-profit is currently having an auction where 100% of your winning bid goes to benefit scholarships for girls. The auction runs now through through May 7th. Link.

HOW TO - Redo Your Office Chair

Office chairs are typically boring with generic grey or brown fabric. This tutorial from makepiesnotsense on Instructables shows you how to transform your chair into your own personalized style. Link.

Cake Art

Phil @ MAKE writes:

Some people say "You can't have your cake and eat it too" - but it's cake, that's all cake does is get eaten and if you're lucky your cake might even look like one of these - [via] Link.
Related cakery:

Thorax cake - Link.
Make an erupting volcano cake - Link.
HOW TO - Make a corpse cake bunny - Link.
Kat litter cake - Link.
Killer rat cake... - Link.
HOW TO - Make a meat cake - Link.
Cockroach cake - Link.
Graveyard cake - Link.
HOW TO - Make an Apple 30th birthday cake - Link.
MAKE: A cake - Link.
HOW TO - Make a "Tux" cake... - Link.
CakeBot - cuts and serves cake - Link.

April's Sampler Goodies

April Sampler2007

April's Sampler proved to be a cool array of fab goodies. Here are some featured new items that I'm loving (Clockwise from top):

For the Birds stationery by Ephemera Stationery - Link.
Button holder frame by Button Collective - Link.
Wolfie and the Sneak Say coloring card - Link.
Sublime Stitching's Lucha Libre embroidery patterns - Link.
Silver Swirl pearl necklace by Beadoodles - Link.
Barry's Farm Ice Cream vinyl wristlet - Link.
Jill Bliss + My Favorite Mirror Set of 6 beverage coasters - Link.

The Sampler is a great way to promote your crafty business! For more Sampler news and info on how you can contribute, visit The Sampler web site here. - Link.

Knitted Monster Pattern

Heather Rupe created this furry, one-eyed knitted monster pattern and you can make one too by downloading the free PDF pattern. Join the other knitters who are making this too by visiting the Monster Knitalong and document your own knit monster project. Link.

DIY Flower Loom

Learn how to make your own flower loom with this tutorial by Candace at Crafty Daisies. Link.

Sewing Machine and Fabric Sale: May 5-6 in Rhode Island

Our CRAFT friend Jenine who makes the coolest glass bead jewelry gives us a heads up about a super cool sale that's happening this weekend with amazing deals on sewing machines. Thanks Jenine!

Sewing Machine and Fabric Sale!
My friend Phil had a company that made petticoats and square dance costumes for over 30 years. His wife of 58 years passed away recently, and Phil wants to sell all of the stuff in his house. Next weekend will be the sale. This is the same Phil that fixes sewing machines at the Big Top Fleamarket in Atlantic Mills in Providence.

Saturday and Sunday, MAY 5- 6
9 AM to 5 PM
243 Ausdale Road, Cranston, Rhode Island
(right by the YMCA on Park Ave. in Cranston)
#30 bus down Cranston St. to Park Ave.
BRING CASH

- 80+ SEWING MACHINES, priced between $10 and $25
- 2 industrial self- oiling automatic sewing machines mounted in factory tables
- 1 self- oiling automatic SERGER mounted in a factory table (automatically makes ruffles)- he's asking $300 for the serger
- PETTICOATS
- a TRAILER FULL OF FABRIC
- tons of LACE (244 yard rolls), strecth lace, ruffles, tulle, seam binding, notions
- ELASTIC
- spools and cones of THREAD
- JEWELRY and JEWERLY MOLDS with dance and Native American themes
- an INDUSTRIAL BOX STAPLER
- an INDUSTRIAL KNIFE AND SCISSOR SHARPENER
- an INDUSTRIAL NEEDLE SHARPENER
- a TOLEDO SCALE for jewelry

He also has a fancy THOMAS CHORD ORGAN for sale (it was $4000 in 1968), a 1960s button tufted padded bar, a mannequin and some mannequin parts, tons of neckscarves, a rocking chair, an exercise bike, marble- topped end tables, and more!

HOW TO - Reinforce Your Handbags

Lisa of U-Handblog goes through in great detail how to reinforce your handbags you make so they last longer and are stronger. Pictured above is polyester boning to stuff inside the seam allowance of the bag sides to create a boxy structure. Lots more great insight and tips on this detailed post. Link.

HOW TO - Patchwork Paper

The Crafty Chica's got a great idea to sew up your scrapbooking paper to make this cool looking patchwork paper. I love the idea of using contrasting color threads and free-style stitching for impromptu designs. Link.

Crochet Irish Rose Cellphone Cozy

Sunshine's Creations has a cute Irish rose inspired crochet cellphone cozy. So cute! Link.

Amigurumi Octopus Pattern

Jpolka on Etsy has this realistic looking amigurumi octopus pattern for sale for just $2.50. Link.

Related:
A Crafter's New Best Friend - The Octopus - Link.

HOW TO - Make a No Sew Nintendo NES Wallet

Make this super cool retro Nintendo controller wallet with no sewing created by zenilorac on Instructables. Link.

Indie Quilts

Jen at Indie Fix is has collected a post on Indie Quilters. Pictured above are Crystal J, Tilonia, Hambone and Jennicakes, and Silana Stichworks. Check out more indie quilters she's found and if you know of more, please leave a comment on her post. Link.

April 27, 2007

HOW TO - Tips on When to Reupholster

Apartment Therapy SF has a post with tips on reupholstering. Should you keep your favorite chair or couch and give it a new life? Link.

Downloadable Birthday Card

Ever find yourself scrambling to buy or make a last minute birthday card? Well fret no more. Jess of How about Orange has a beautiful downloadable birthday card and envelope in PDF format so you can print and send it off to a friend. Link.

Crochet Beaded Ring

Ooh! I love sparkly things and this beaded crochet ring looks like a fun accessory you can make. Link.

Fat Quarters and Fabric Bundles at Purl Soho

Get your fabric bundles or fat quarters at Purl Soho with some great solid color combinations or fun prints like the garden party (left) and licorice (right) fat quarters (18" X 24"). Both of these sets are only $15 each for 6 fat quarters. Perfect for your new quilting projects. [ via ] Link.

CRAFT Pattern Podcast: Alternative Coasters by Robyn Chachula

This week's CRAFT Pattern Podcast are Alternative Coasters by Robyn Chachula of Crochet by Faye. Crochet up these coasters with plastic grocery bags as yarn or use heavy plastic ribbon as Robyn does, which you can easily find in the gardening aisle of the hardware store. You can also try twine or curling ribbon. The possibilites are endless!

Catch up with Robyn and the cool world of crochet on her fantastic blog.

Download this week's CRAFT pattern PDF - Link.

Subscribe to the CRAFT podcast and get this pattern and other CRAFT content delivered automatically via iTunes - Link

Giant Knitted Glove / Chair Cozy

Knit.1 points to this amazing project by Amy of Needles and Hooks. She's knitted a giant glove for chair that's shaped like a big hand which I guess will make you feel like you're sitting on King Kong's hand or something like that. Anyway, wacky chair aside, the giant glove rocks! [ via ] Link.

Knitted Homes of Crime on exhibit in Philadelphia April 20 - August 5

"Knitted Homes of Crime" by artist Freddie Robbins will be on exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia as part of the "Crimes of Omission" exhibit from April 20 - August 5. [ via ] Link.

Ice Cooler Lightbox

Warren Richsson pointed us to this easy idea of using an ice cooler as a light box for a quick, no-fuss, white background setup by Strobist. Link.

Amy Butler Sewing Patterns Monthly Contests at U-Handblog

Lisa at U-Handblog has got a great monthly contest that is just starting up! Every month the makers of the 3 best Amy Butler bags, tops, or skirts, etc. will win an Amy Butler Pattern of their choice. The closing date for this month's contest is 25th May. Check out U-Handblog for all the details. Link.

April 26, 2007

A Crafter's New Best Friend - The Octopus

Looks like the new crafty trend for 2007 is the cute and cuddly octopus! Cute and cuddly? Sure why not! Who knew these tentacle-clad sea creatures would get so much crafty love lately? Whether in yarn, felt, or fabric, these eight legged creatures are a crafter's new best friend. Snatch up Futuregirl's pattern to make one just like Sigmund the Octopus above for only $5. Then visit the Futuregirl Octopus Stuffie group on Flickr! Link.

Here's a recent octopus project we've featured on CRAFT:

HOW TO - Draw an Octopus Mural on Your Wall - Link.

Octopus finds on Etsy:
Octopus Etsy1
Octopus Pendant, Handknit Octopus Toy, Octopus Small Stud Earrings.

Octopus Etsy2
Mr. Octopod iPod Cozy, Octopus Finger Puppet, Octopus and baby crochet pattern.
See all the octopus goods on Etsy here. - Link.

Octopus Julie
This fun spot the octopus trend, all started when Julie Jackson of Subversive Cross Stitch sent me her octopus hot dog that was the winner of the WNYC and Amy Sedaris Craft Challenge back in Feb. Subsequently, Julie's started seeing octopus everywhere including an octopus cookie from a pack of sea creature cookies from Whole Foods, and these weird octopus flavored Tako Chips from Japan. Looks like octopuses are everywhere!

Quick Links - April 26

Still loving the images of Alicia Paulson's studio. Check out The Posie Studio Flickr set. - Link.

New Design Sponge sneak peek inside quilter's Denyse Schmidt's home - Link.

Call for knit or design design submissions for handpainted Sanguine Gryphon yarn. [ via ] Link.

Art Flock: Fine art and craft community site launched this week. - Link.

10,000 Great Ideas: new website seeking to collect and share free patterns and ideas for all things woolly! - Link.

HOW TO - Turn Old Clothes into a Reversible Purse (Video)

Here's a direct link to ThreadBanger's tutorial on Curbly that shows you how to take your old clothes, in this case 2 colorful tops, and make a cute reversible purse. Link.

HOW TO - Sew a Simple Makeup Bag

Jen at Crafty Daisies has a tutorial on how to sew a simple makeup bag. I love the fabric and trim along with the great shape. You could also sew up these bags to hold your crafting notions. Link.

Naughty Secretary Club 25% off Sale - Crafty Curios

In celebration of Administrative Professional's Week, Jen of Naughty Secretary Club has got a big sale going on. Everything in her store and etsy store are 25%! Over at her etsy shop, Jen's stocked up a bevy of crafty curios from vintage papercrafts like the birdie collection on the left, as well as a jeweled collection of baubles by color or theme like the nautical collection on the right. There's also jewelry kits and supplies available. Susan of West Coast Crafty picked up a Crafty Curio set and shows you what she's made from them in her recent post. You can also check out my post on the Naughty Secretary jewelry sale where's she's added over 100 new items! Link.

Plush You Interview with Blythe Church

Kristen of Plush You has a great interview with crafter Blythe Church who makes fun looking plush objects. Read the fun interview and find out more about Blythe Church. Link.

Lotta Jansdottter's Simple Sewing: Call for Project Photos & Maker Faire Appearance

Lotta Jansdotter is looking for your project photos from her latest book, Simple Sewing: patterns and how-to for 24 fresh and easy projects from Chronicle Books. She loves seeing all the different fabrics used, and how each project has a new interpretation. Lotta plans on collecting your project photos to use for her presentation at the Maker Faire on Saturday, May 19th (more details here on the blog soon). Three randomly picked people who send in their photos will also receive a signed copy of Lotta's book. Pictured above are the magazine holder and chopstick placemat by Anh-Minh. Email your finished project photos from Simple Sewing to questions@jansdotter.com. For more information check out Lotta's blog (scroll to April 2nd's entry). Link.

Lotta Craft-1
From the pages of CRAFT: 03:
"Print and Pattern: Textile designer Lotta Jansdotter brings a Scandinavian touch to her modern designs" by Natalie Zee Drieu, pgs 28-29. Read my Crafter profile on Lotta to find out how she got her start! You can also read a review of Simple Sewing in our Bazaar section. CRAFT subscribers can access this article via our Digital Edition. - Link.

Instructables - Win a BrightStar Laser Cutter Contest

Hey Crafters! From now through Sunday, June 17th just post up your project (doen't need to be laser related) on Instructables as well as to the Laser Cutter Contest group and you'll be entered into the contest to win a BrightStar Laser Cutter! Five finalists will be selected and announced around Friday June 22nd. Each of the five finalists will need to submit a proposal telling us what they would do with the laser cutter. And ladies and gents, get inspired here on what you can do with a laser cutter by Leah and LadyAda. Pictured above is the etched laptop of my peep Phil Torrone over at MAKE which features a popular O'Reilly logo. I was there when this laptop got etched and it's an amazing sight to see. Link.

HOW TO - Make Kettle Corn

Alicia Kachmar of Create has a quick and cheap recipie on how to make your own kettle corn. Yum! Link.

April 25, 2007

Fuzzy Yarn Tips: Crocheting with Eyelash Yarn

Craftybits @ PlanetJune.com has a section on fuzzy yarn tips. We all love eyelash yarn for certain embellishments but did you know that you can make some cute fuzzy amigurumi animals like the ones pictured above? Get some great general tips and a tutorial on how to start amigurumi with eyelash yarn (there are right and left handed versions). Also, check out her fun amigurumi patterns she has for sale. Link.

The Two Minutes Paper Wallet (Video)

Sam Noyoun writes:

One sheet of A4 paper or card; 8 folds; 3 cuts; 2 minutes= 1 paper wallet!
No tape or glue needed. This is a quintessentially minimalist wallet, yet fully functional.
Of course the wallet could be reinforced with duct tape, cardboard or plastic joints..., but a paper wallet should be just that: a cheap and cheerful money and credit card holder that can be improvised on the go.

You can see the step-by-step photos of this project at Instructables. This project is also an entry in Instructable's DIY Wallet Challenge. - Link.

Check out the quick 2 minute video on how to fold the paper wallet here. - Link.

Book Review: The Crafter Culture Handbook by Amy Spencer

The Crafter Culture Handbook by Amy Spencer
Book Site - Link.
Amazon - Link.

For all you multiple crafts lovers, you'll go ga-ga over this new book The Crafter Culture Handbook by Amy Spencer. The book is chock full of projects from a wide range of craft topics such as needlearts, electronic crafts, homemade beauty, recycling projects, paper crafts, and more. Finally a book that covers it all! Peppered also throughout the book are guides to important events and resources for us crafters such as a listing of top craft fairs, craftivism, special events related to crafting like Stitch N' Pitch, and more. The projects featured in the book are like a who's who of the crafting world, including some of our CRAFT contributers! The electronic crafts section particularly appeals to me as this new mergence of tech crafts is just gaining some important exposure. In this section, Alison Lewis of Switch shows you how to sew up some Lovie Circuits and Syuzi Pakhchayan of SparkLab has a tutorial on how to make her LED Bracelet. Both of which were featured at our Maker Faire last year. Other projects also include Julie Jackson of Subversive Cross Stitch stitching "Is That All There Is?", Susan Beal of West Coast Crafty sews up a Vintage Slip Camisole and Travel Bag set, and Shannon Okey of Knitgrrl knits up a Red Light District Peekaboo Scarf. I mean there's just too many projects for me to list and name them all! You can check out the full project list and go to the sneak preview for sample pages/free patterns from the site such as the cute Sofia Loren Cross-Stitch and recycled plastic crochet bag pictured above. The end of the book has handy craft resources from conversion charts, book lists, and all the websites you'll ever need related to crafting. With all the great color photos and juicy content, you will not want to put this book down. It's definitely a must have handbook for the new wave of crafters!

Participate in the Hokie Healing Project in Memory of Virginia Tech Victims

Miki writes:

Mosiac Yarn Shop is Blacksburg, VA's local yarn shop where college kids hang out to knit is hosting a "Hokie Healing" charity knit. The goal is to collect 8x8 crochet or knit squares in Hokie Colors (maroon, orange) to give to the victim's families. Blankets will be made out of the squares for a cherished keepsake and memory of Virginia Tech.
We ask for all participation elsewhere and stress that nice fibers be sent.

For more information check out the Mosaic Yarn Shop site here. - Link.

A Beginner's Guide to Natural Dyeing

Alicia points us to the blog, Echoes of a Dream by Simmy and her great beginner's guide to natural dyeing. Check out also her blog for other tutorials such as felt dandelions and the padded pinboard. Link.

Sewing Machine Accessories to Make

DIYnamite shows us how she organizes her sewing by making a pincushion and handy fabric trash bag so she can keep sewing without stopping. The trash is an extra smart idea for when you need to snip excess threads. I always hate the cleanup on my sewing table afterwards. Link.

Crochet Keyboard Choker Necklace

Sarah points us to lizstaley's cool crochet keyboard chocker necklaces on Craftster. Link.

HOW TO - Take Detailed Photos of your Knitting or Crochet

Ever get frustrated when you try to take photos of your projects and they never show up quite how they do in real life? From WikiKnitting comes this great tutorial on how to construct a cardboard light box to shoot your knitting or crochetin the best light so you can clearly see all the stitches. I love the photo comparisons that show you flash vs. no flash, macro mode on or off, and manual mode on or off. This is the perfect photography resource and a thrify solution to a DIY lightbox. Thanks E.B.! Link.

Related:
Testing Flash Settings on Yarn Color and Cables - Link.

April 24, 2007

HOW TO - Create a Mosaic

Mosaic Art Supply has a tutorial on how to create your own indoor mosaic art piece. They also have a cool mosaic calculator that you can use to figure out your piece sizes. Link.

Snipshot - Edit Photos Online

For those of you that don't have Photoshop but still would like an easy way to crop or resize your photos, check out this new site called Snipshot that lets you edit your pictures online. You can't do a lot with it but you can do the basic crop, resize, rotate. Enhance is a nice feature too which just adjusts your light balance. You can save the finished photos to your flickr account or have a jpg saved to your desktop. The web application is pretty fast. Plus it's free. No sign up necessary. I found this site from How about Orange who also has a link to a list of other online image editors and comparisons. [ via ] Link.