Craftzine.com blog: January 2008 Archive

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Archives: January 2008

January 31, 2008

Bead Simple + Giveaway at Belle Epoque

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Nancy at Belle Epoque has a nice treat for one lucky winner! Simply pre-order Susan Beal's new Bead Simple book, then come back to her site to comment to enter a chance at winning a stash of beads and a Bead Simple Necklace kit. Looks like some awesome stuff! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 31, 2008 10:00 PM
Contests, Jewelry | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

KnitKnit on the radio!

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I heard Sabrina Gschwandtner on the radio this morning, talking about her book KnitKnit and rebel knitters of the world. The segment is only a few minutes long, but fun to listen to if you missed her on her book tour! Link

HOW TO - Make a Keyhole Sweater Top

Craftster user SmarmyClothes turned an oversized and unflattering sweater into this fitted and saucy keyhole top. Visit the following link for more of her photos, explanations and links to tutorials on making this top and other cool items of clothing. Link.

Appliquéd Deer Quilt

Andrea Zuill has been sharing her appliqué and embroidery tips on her blog, Badbirds, as she explains her work process making this gorgeous "White Deer" quilt. (Be sure to check all her entries under the "Quilting" category on her blog for further inspiration and info.) Link.

HOW TO - Do Stranded Knitting

Erin points us to the 144 Inches of I-Cord blog, which recently featured a three-part series explaining how to do stranded knitting. Very handy! Link.

Blogs We Love: Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

This week we Craft bloggers are sharing with you our favorite blogs (besides Craft and Make, of course!). I caught up with Lenore Edman from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories to talk about her philosophies on creativity and what she does at EMSL. She runs her blog and small business with her husband, Windell Oskay, where together they post new and fun DIY projects ranging from racing toothbrush robots to edible googly eyes.

Lenore is an inspiring creator. She writes:

Most people who make things tend to specialize in a certain area, whether it be electronics, yarn, paper or food. Whether you call something shop or home ec. doesn't really change that at the root, you're learning a set of skills for creating things. I'm a liberal arts kind of Jane-of-all-trades: I can do a little of everything, and I apply it all everywhere, but I don't have any specifically marketable skills. I'm not afraid of fitting a fabric cover to a plywood frame or of putting electronics in a plush toy. I think translation stages are cute, and I love vintage packaging materials. I adore bearings and am not afraid to pack them with grease. The most important thing for me is to have someone to brainstorm with and to not be afraid of any ideas, no matter how far fetched or ridiculous they may seem.

Lenore and Windell publish online how-to guides for their projects, and believe very strongly in sharing what they love:

What I do is mash up a bunch of different making techniques to implement ideas. I'm incredibly lucky in that my techniques mesh well with and complement my partner's techniques. We get to combine more methods than most makers. And what we do that sets us aside from most people who make things is to write up what we do and share it with everyone else. It takes more time to make [projects] when you're dedicated to documenting the process; so why do it? What I really love is finding out that someone else benefited from the information I've put out there. It is incredibly satisfying to find out that a project I wrote up inspired someone to try something new. Because that is what it is all about: not being afraid to try something new, whether it be with food, sewing, electronics, or whatever it is that makes you happy.

Lenore comes from a family with a strong do-it-yourself tradition, and was always encouraged to experiment throughout her childhood. Innovation comes from necessity -- Lenore learned to maintain her bike for when she couldn't afford a car. She and Windell want to propagate the confidence to experiment with new techniques to get your ideas out there. Their projects and kits available at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories are an inspiration to anyone skirting the maker/crafter line. - Link.

Related:

Blogs We Love: A Ervilha cor de Rosa - Link.
Blogs We Love: Oh Joy! - Link.
Blogs We Love: Knick Knacks & Ric Rac - Link.

Brooch-Covered Mirror

Suzy (aka GeorgiaPeachez) recently posted some colorful work-in-progress photos of a stodgy mirror she's been making over. A coat of fresh white paint and a ton of vintage enamel brooches are turning a ho-hum mirror into a breath of fresh air! Link.

Related:
Brooch Display - Link.

HOW TO - Make a Fabric Pinwheel

Chickpea Sewing Studio shares a PDF tutorial for making these eye-catching fabric pinwheels, which she turned into a fun mobile. Link.

Valentine's Day - MAKE + CRAFT Get It Together!

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Are you looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift for the special one in your life? This time for Valentine's Day on February 14th, spread the DIY love with a gift subscription to CRAFT or MAKE Magazines! We've made it easy with a PDF Valentine gift card you can print out and send to your special one, your best friend, mom and dad, or anyone you wish!

CRAFT Magazine:

Gift Subscription to CRAFT - Link.
Download the CRAFT Valentine's Day gift card (PDF) - Link.

MAKE Magazine:

Gift Subscription to MAKE - Link.
Download the MAKE Valentine's Day gift card (PDF) - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 31, 2008 11:00 AM
Announcements | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Embroidery Video Library at Needle 'N Thread

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Judy points us to Needle 'N Thread a site that has an amazing video library of embroidery stitches. Pictured above is the mini sampler of chevron stitches (one of my favs). Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 31, 2008 10:00 AM
Needlearts | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Bottle Cap Beads

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Cathy Collison of Glass Garden Beads solders bottle caps together to make bottle cap beads! [ via ] Link.

DIY Birds Nest Ring Pillow

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Mrs. Radish on Weddingbee makes this adorable birds nest ring pillow for her wedding and shares her tutorial here. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 31, 2008 08:00 AM
Weddings | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

My Neighborhood - Victor Osborne

The neighborhood where I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn has a really high concentration of crafty people and shops. I started visiting these people so I can share their stories and work with the readers of the Craft blog. Last time was Lisa Levine from Lisa Levine Jewelry. This week we are going inside Victor Osborne's amazing hat store.

Victor opened his store and design atelier in Williamsburg in August of 2006. Victor Osborne's hats are made on location and the store is a place for neighborhood locals to drop in on weekends to buy a hat or watch the design process. During the week, Victor sells his hats to stores and designers for fashion shows.

Victor got interested in hats from an aunt he describes as "very Breakfast at Tiffany's." He attended FIT for women's wear and majored in knitwear, but found that he kept gravitating towards accessories and hats. His favorite hats to work on are blocked hats because they are very sculptural. Blocked hats are made by using steam to mold felt to wooden hat blocks. According to Victor, only one major hat manufacturer in the US still uses this traditional technique.

Inside the store is a mix of Victor Osborne's current designs, unique vintage hats and tools of the trade like wooden hat blocks and books. It would be hard to walk around without trying on a few hats. I have to admit that I bought 2 hats before I left.

Victor Osborne
364 Leonard St
Brooklyn, NY
victorosborne.com

• See all my Flickr photos from Victor Osborne - Link.
• Victor Osborne's Flickr - Link
• How to Block a Felt Body on a One-Piece Block - Link

DIY Retro Canister

Design Sponge posted about a great how to sent in by a reader. D*S reader Heather Smith-Prisco made her own version of retro kitchen storage containers and posted photos and instructions on Flickr. [via] Link.

Indie Fixx Valentine's Day Gift Guide

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Check out the Valentine's Day Gift Guide on Indie Fixx for lots of ideas on gifts you can give on V day. I love this 10 ct Diamond Felt Brooch by My Imaginary Boyfriend. Also, take a look around the newly redesigned site! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 31, 2008 03:00 AM
Bazaar | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

January 30, 2008

DIY Gradient Tights

Jennine at The Coveted shows off the latest trend of gradient tights and gives you the steps on how to dye your own tights at a price that won't break the bank. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 30, 2008 09:00 PM
Fashion | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

The Lone Knitta's Yarn Tattoo

Okay, so I know we've covered craft-related tattoos before, but look at this this thing--it's amazing! The Lone Knitta posted this in the CRAFT Flickr group and says her ink was done at Peacock Tattoo in Jacksonville, FL. Be sure to check out the other pix in her photostream as well for some extra-cool knitting photos. Link.

Related:
• Crafty Tats - Link.
• HOW TO - Make a Fake Tattoo with Pantyhose - Link.
• DIY Tattoo Flash Print - Link.

ROUNDUP: Cool Bookplates

My friends and I are always loaning each other books, and I've started using bookplates so I'm sure to get mine back afterwards. Here's a roundup of nice bookplates I found on Etsy.

Retro Homes by The Paper Princess - Link.

Don't Be a Blowhole by One Good Bumblebee - Link.

Kitty Library Cards 'n' Pockets by Phoebe1 - Link.

Mother Goose by boygirlparty - Link.

Matroyshka by Corrabelle - Link.

Glitterbead Animation

Michael Mouris made this stop-motion animation featuring a glittery piece of art. It's just mesmerizing. - [via] Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Jan 30, 2008 04:00 PM
Arts, Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Repurposed Wool Owls

The CRAFT Flickr pool is always full of inspiration and eye-catching fun, and these rustic owls by Old School Acres are no exception. They were created from a repurposed wool jacket, with vintage button eyes and fabric scrap feathers. Link.

Leftover Yarn Baby Booties

Gloria writes in about this free pattern for baby booties, made from small scraps of yarn you have around. SockPixie writes:

My biggest problem as a sock knitter, is what to do with my left over yarn, in particular with these no bigger than a walnut darling balls of yarn. These slippers are magic to work. NO SEAMS at all, no origami construction, all garter stitch, mostly knit in the round, and about one pair per hour! My promise to myself is that I will knit a pair of slippers for every pair of socks I knit, and that I will donate the slippers to my local community health center.

Baby booties from small scraps of yarn - Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Jan 30, 2008 02:00 PM
Babies, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Vintage Pincushion Kits

CRAFT's "Old School" columnist Cathy of California has just added these fun (and functional!) pincushion kits to her online shop. The project was inspired by a pincushion she saw in a 1965 issue of "Family Circle" magazine, but she's given it her own spin. Each kit includes a foam ball, vintage fabric, a pom pom, felt, a chenille bee and complete instructions. There are some super-cute fabrics available, and these kits are a limited edition--so check the shop out soon! Link.

Opening Thursday: Lisa Congdon's "Nature Walk"

LIsa Congdon's new solo show, Nature Walk, opens Thursday night in San Francisco. See a preview on her Flickr photostream, and check out her blog to stay in the loop. Link.

@ Swallowtail
2217 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Thursday, January 31, 7-9 pm

Related:
• Lisa Congdon Quilted Diary - Link.
• Lisa Congdon Etsy Shop - Link.

Recycle Egg Carton into Heart

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Patricia of A Little Hut has a tutorial on how to use up an old egg carton to create this piece of heart art. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 30, 2008 11:00 AM
Arts, Holiday projects, Recycle | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Style Your Photos

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Taking a great photo may not be enough when you're trying to sell your goods online. SusyJack on Etsy shows you how to style your photos in her article, "Give Props". Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 30, 2008 10:00 AM
Digital Design and Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2008

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Moonstitches has posted up a gallery on her Flickr of some of the most beautiful images from Tokyo's International Great Quilt Festival 2008. Get ready to be inspired! [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 30, 2008 09:00 AM
Events, Japanese Crafts, Quilting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

The Sophisticated Rustic Jacket Pattern

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The winning free pattern on Knitting Daily is this beautiful knit cardigan, The Sophisticated Rustic Jacket by Pam Allen. I love the delicate way the contrast color trim is ruffled. Just sign up to be a member of Knitting Daily to download this PDF. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 30, 2008 08:00 AM
Fashion, Knitting, Patterns | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Blogs We Love: A Ervilha cor de Rosa

This week, my Craft blogger buddies and I are sharing our favorite blogs with you. In order to write every day for the Craft blog, I have to read an awful lot of web sites. One of my favorites, A Ervilha cor de Rosa requires little reading because it is written in Portuguese. A Ervilha cor de Rosa is the blog of renowned Portuguese dollmaker Rosa Pomar.

On Rosa's blog, you can find a lot of pictures of her beautiful dolls. All of the dolls are handmade out of wool, linen, cashmere, silk, and cotton. She accents the dolls with trimmings of lace and ribbon. Even though the style of the dolls is consistent, each doll is really quite unique.

Besides the dolls, my favorite posts are when Rosa takes pictures of different things she sees around her. For a few days in December, she posted photos of Portuguese tile. I really like her style of posting photos like a catalog of images. Even though the blog has translate links at the bottom of every entry, I enjoy just looking at these pictures the most. - Link.

Related:

Blogs We Love: Knick Knacks & Ric Rac - Link.
Blogs We Love: Oh Joy! - Link.

Sketchy Coworker Blog

A colleague of mine recently started posting his daily meeting doodles on a blog called Sketchy Coworker. He loves typography and plays around with different fonts. I love checking the site every day for inspiration, I just wish it made me a better doodler. Link.

Urban Outfitters' Office Space

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For some inspiration, HOW Design points to Metropolis Magazine's design article giving us a peek at the corporate campus at Urban Outfitters which oversees the brands Anthropologie, Free People, as well as Urban Outfitters. I'm falling in love with the big crochet art and giant yarn balls in the lobby of Free People building. Download the full PDF of the article here at the Metropolis site. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 30, 2008 02:00 AM
General | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email Entry

January 29, 2008

The Scarflettes Flickr Group

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I'm freezing right now so maybe that's why I've happily joined The Scarflettes group by Sylvie of Chez Plum. Pictured above is this crocheted neckwarmer by MarianneS on Flickr. Beautiful inspiriation! Join The Scarflettes Flickr group and add one of your own photos to the pool. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 29, 2008 10:00 PM
Crochet, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Découpaged Storage Cart

Lady Harvatine shows off her new storage cart from IKEA, which she perked up by découpaging wrapping paper all over the sides, top, and drawer fronts. What a simple but effective way to brighten up the craft room. Link.

Related:
Lady Harvatine's Fabric Flip-Flops - Link.

HOW TO - Make Soda Can Stars

Craftster user Teag explains how to use soda cans to make these simple but attractive stars. You can decoupage them with patterned papers, or leave them as-is for some recycled sparkle. These would look great strung up in a mobile. Link.

Related:
Recycled Sodapop Charms - Link.

HOW TO - Cat Burglar Joule Thief

Instructables user unknownuser2007 combined two MAKE weekend projects: the sympathy doll and the joule thief. The result is this cutie who sucks the last life out of your batteries by holding them in his hands and lighting up his nose. - Link.

Related:

Make a Joule Thief - Weekend Projects Video Podcast - Link.

Make a Sympathy Doll - Weekend Projects Podcast - Link.

Bird in Fox Pendant

This "Bird in Fox" pendant by ViennaHorses features a mother-of-pearl bird hanging freely within the stomach of a plastic fox. The foodchain never looked quite so lovely! Link.

Dread Crocheted Cthulhu

Instructables user Fruppi has a slideshow of a mythical Cthulu, crocheted of course. I can't wait for the pattern! - Link.

HOW TO - Sew a Water Bottle Carrier

I can't stand having my water bottle floating around in my bag, so I think I'll sew up one of these stylish carriers to keep it separate from my valuables. This will be a great accessory to take to the gym! Get the handy-dandy tutorial at Pink Chalk Studio. Link.

Needle-Felted Yip Yip Alien

Craftster user Krissykat made herself a funny little Yip-Yip alien toy! He's completely needle-felted, with yarn-wrapped pipecleaner antennae. For those of you unfamiliar with (or too young to remember) the Yip-Yip aliens, they were pretty much the funniest Muppets to ever grace Sesame Street (see YouTube clip below). Link.

Blogs We Love: Oh Joy!

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Our theme this week is "Blogs We Love" and today, my favorite blog of late is the Oh Joy! blog by Joy Deangdeelert Cho. Each day I find myself inspired by the curated finds of Joy whether it's crafts, paper goods, home decor, or fashion -- she's got a sharp eye for design and I can fall for just about anything she posts up. - Link.

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I love how Joy will group together items you never thought could work together, such as matching flatware wallpaper with a bangle bracelet in this great post on "feeling graphic in black & white today". I find myself soaking in the entire beauty of the composition and then taking my time with observing each of the new little pieces individually to find out what they are. Her eye for color and shapes is truly impeccable. - Link.
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Oh Joy! features the work of lots of amazing artists, illustrators, photographers and stylists such as this inspiring photo that features the work of stylist Tanya Goodwin in Joy's post "mulitples". The blog is great way to find out about creative people I never would have known about. - Link.

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Joy also designs and runs her own shop called Nantaka Joy, a line of beautifully designed paper and patterned products. I picked up a few before the holidays from Relish at Home. This "I Love" Platinum Notebook has been just one of my favorites. It's beautiful to write in and very portable. Check out all the wonderful things at Nantaka Joy. - Link.

Related:
Blogs We Love: Knick Knacks & Ric Rac - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 29, 2008 11:00 AM
General | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Star Wars Salacious B. Crumb Softie

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Bonnie points us to Oil Bath Bubbles blog where Neil Baker shows you how he sewed up his own softie version of Salacious B. Crumb, a court jester for Jabba the Hut. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 29, 2008 10:00 AM
Amigurumi and Toys, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Make Button Rings

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Jocelyn points us to Ric Rac where Jodie shows us how to make these cute rings made from vintage buttons. A great quick craft! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 29, 2008 09:00 AM
Jewelry, Recycle, Vintage | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

Refinished Dining Room Table

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CasaSugar has some great gallery photos of how user Grumpalita transformed an old table from Craigslist into this beautiful dark finished wood table! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 29, 2008 08:00 AM
Home and Garden | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Go Buggy's Soft Foods

Housemartin points out these great food softies made by Etsy seller Go Buggy. This is the most delicious looking inedible food that I have ever seen. [via] Link.

How To - Make Rubber Stamps

Cut Out + Keep posted a tutorial how to create rubber stamps on a budget. It starts with the most basic supplies of an exacto knife and a rubbery eraser. Link.

January 28, 2008

Call for Makers: Maker Faire Bay Area 2008

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Hi Crafters! We are now accepting entries for the Maker Faire Bay Area, May 3 and 4 at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds.

The first step to participating in Maker Faire is to submit an entry that tells us about yourself and your project. Entries can be submitted from individuals as well as from groups such as hobbyist clubs and schools. Please provide a short description of what you make and what you will actually bring to Maker Faire. Please link to photographs or videos of what you make. Maker exhibits should be non-commercial. We particularly encourage exhibits that are interactive and that highlight the process of making things.

Maker Faire Bay Area Entries: Deadline March 12, 2008 Key Points:

Entries Due: March 12, 2008. Space is limited, please submit your entry early!
Maker Faire Tryouts: February 17, 2008, The Exploratorium, San Francisco, noon - 4pm.
Notification of Acceptance: Entries submitted by March 12 will be notified by March 19.

This Thursday, January 31 is the Maker Faire Town Hall at the Exploratorium from 7:00pm - 8:30pm in San Francisco. Come by, meet others, and give us feedback on what you want to see happen at Maker Faire. See you there!

To find out more information and to sign up, visit the Maker Faire site. - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Jan 28, 2008 10:04 PM
Announcements, Maker Faire | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Make a No-Knit Scarf

I'm loving the casually elegant vibe of this no-knit scarf from Martha Stewart. A chunky yarn version would look great layered over a sweater during winter, or you could make one from strips of jersey for a lightweight summer scarf to wear with a cute tee. Get the full directions on how to make one of your own here: Link.

Angry Chicken's Papercut PDFs

Angry Chicken's newest issue of Mailorder is out, and this time around it's in downloadable PDF format. You'll get four beautiful PDF papercutting patterns with directions, tips and how-tos, plus a delicious recipe. All yours for only $8. Link.

QR Code Cake

Jay

Link.

Related:

Semacode Needlepoint - Link.
Space Invader & QR Code Scarf - Link.
Barcode Quilt - Link.

Felt Floppy Disk Lapel Pin

Here's a blast from the past courtesy of Etsy seller BraveMoonman: a felt lapel pin in the shape of a floppy disk. Ah, the '80s. Link.

Laser Cut Vinyl Silhouettes

via

Link.

HOW TO - Make a Meerkat

The Roman Sock blog features an in-depth PDF tutorial that shows you how to make these hilariously cute crocheted meerkat stuffies. Perfect for the Meerkat Manor addict in your life! Link.