Craftzine.com blog: February 2008 Archive

« January 2008 | Main | March 2008 »

Archives: February 2008

February 29, 2008

Winners of the Warm Biscuit Bedding Company Giveaway!

Well we received an overwhelming response to the free giveaway this week for a $50 gift certificate to Warm Biscuit Bedding Company. The 2 lucky Craftzine readers are: Julie Hentz and Annie Skarphol. Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who entered and don't forget to check out the great fabrics and more at Warm Biscuit Bedding Company! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 29, 2008 08:00 PM
Announcements | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Embroider with Mirrors

Joyful Abode shares a step-by-step, extremely well-photographed tutorial for doing Indian-style shisha embroidery, using small mirrors or pailettes. [via] Link.

Related:
Shi Sha Embroidery - Link.

Cabled Rangoli Hat Pattern

The Adventures of a Desi Knitter blog is offering this pretty, pretty free knitting pattern in downloadable PDF format. It's called the Cabled Rangoli Hat, uses only 1.5 skeins of yarn and looks like the perfect thing for chilly Spring nights. [via] Link.

Nicole Smith's Hearts

Nicole M. Smith has created this really interesting set of interactive plush toys from hand-printed fabric and plastic tubing. They're on display at Conspire, a gallery in downtown Phoenix. She doesn't have a website, but you can email her if you like - Link.

Scissors Mobile @ Rare Device

I love the inspiring new mobile that artist Lisa Congdon made from her scissors collection. It's currently on display in her shop, Rare Device, so stop by if you live in SF to check it out in person. Link.

Vintage Resistor Earrings

David Petrides writes in about Charlotte of "Earrings 101" and her vintage resistor earrings, made into the stamen of flowers, terminated with Swarovski crystals. More subtle than the resistor earrings I've seen before, these would make a great addition to any classy electronics lady's collection. - Link.

CRAFT: 06 Release Party Info

Just wanted to remind you all about our upcoming slate of release parties, which are scheduled to go down next Sunday, March 9. Each party will feature free crafty demonstrations, door prizes (you might go home with a CRAFT: The First Year box set!), snacks and special subscription deals. Here's a list of cities, hosts, and venues--if you're anywhere nearby, we hope you'll join us!

LOS ANGELES!

HOSTS: Jenny Ryan (CRAFT blog, Felt Club, SewDarnCute) & Cathy Callahan (CRAFT's "Old School" columnist, Cathy of California)
VENUE: Handmade Galleries
14556 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
PH: 818-382-3444
TIME: 12-4pm

MILWAUKEE!

HOSTS: Faythe Levine (Handmade Nation, Paper Boat Boutique, Art vs. Craft) & Janelle Gramling (Fasten Co-op Clothing Gallery)
VENUE: Fasten Co-op Clothing Gallery
2224 S Kinnickinnic Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
PH: 414-747-9229
TIME: 12-3pm

PORTLAND!

HOSTS: Susan Beal (West Coast Crafty, Bead Simple) & Sister Diane (CraftyPod, DIY Alert)
VENUE: Twisted
2310 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
PH: 503-922-1150
TIME: 1-4pm
SPECIAL GUEST STARS: Made by Moxie (who did our 06 cover monster project!) & Shawn Connally (Managing Editor of CRAFT)

CHICAGO!

HOST: Alison Simonian (Miss Alison, Felt Club)
VENUE: The Needleshop
2054 W Charleston BF
Chicago, IL 60647
TIME: 1-4pm

NEW YORK CITY!

HOSTS: Michelle Kempner (CRAFT blog, Robot Clothes) & Becky Stern (CRAFT & MAKE blogs, SternLab)
VENUE: Make Workshop
195 Christie St., Suite 502
(btw Stanton & Rivington)
New York, NY
PH: 212-533-9995
TIME: 12-4pm

ATLANTA!

HOSTS: Christy Petterson (Indie Craft Experience, a. bardis, GetCrafty) & Becky Striepe (Atlanta Craft Mafia, Glue & Glitter)
VENUE: ParkGrounds
142 Flat Shoals Ave SE
Atlanta GA 30316
PH: 678-528-9901
TIME: 1-5pm

FYI, we do hope to expand these parties to more cities in the future, so if there's no party in your city this time around, hang in there.

Vickie Howell & Lena Walker Smith: Real Women Wear Knits - CRAFT Video Podcast

MP4 Video | QT Video | HD | Subscribe in iTunes

Vickie Howell and SWTC stylist Lena Walker Smith had a fashion event called "Real Women Wear Knits" at Stitches West in Santa Clara, CA last Friday. I got a chance to check out the fashion show where 200 audience members and myself watched as Vickie and Lena taught us the basics on proportion, bodytype, and which knits worked the best. I loved how the show also reinforced all the ways you can adjust a knitting or crochet pattern and make it more flattering to your body, as well as how to embellish certain outfits. Hope you enjoy a few of Vickie and Lena's great tips!

Net-Top-026
Some of the patterns shown in the fashion show, like the crochet kimono shrug shown above, are available at Vickie's shop. - Link.

Yarn-1
The Vickie Howell yarn collection is available through SWTC. See all the colors for Craft, Rock, and Love as well as a variety of other SWTC natural yarn and fibers. - Link.

Realwomenwearknits
You can also see all the rest of my photos from Stitches West. - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 29, 2008 12:25 PM
CRAFT Podcast, Crochet, Fashion, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

Make-Ahead Monkey Bread

Bake and Shake shares an amazing-sounding recipe for Make-Ahead Monkey Bread. Her description of this treat--"...a blissful, sticky dome of yeasty rolls cloaked in caramelized sugar and butter, with toasted pecans adding crunch..."--really says it all, don't you think? Link.

LA Fiber Guild Felt Study Group this Sunday, March 2

Felt+Bag,+Branches+2
Ansley of Bleu Arts just finished up this beautiful felt handbag with branch design. She started this piece at the last LA Fiber Guild's Felt Study Group. If you are in the LA area, join them for the next meeting on Sunday, March 2nd at 11am. You can find out more details on how Ansley made this bag at Bleu Arts. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 29, 2008 10:00 AM
Events, Felting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Granny Square Tortoises

Tortoisesfacing
Roman Sock has a PDF pattern to make these fun granny square tortoises! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 29, 2008 09:00 AM
Amigurumi and Toys, Crochet, Patterns | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Edible Characters from Eugene and Louise Bakery

Drawn posted about Eugene and Louise Bakery in Belgium that makes great characters out of marzipan. Check out the Marzipan treat gallery on their site. [via] Link.

February 28, 2008

Ballband Dishcloth

Shawnee of Life with Monkey recently knit up this colorful dishcloth using the Ballband Dishcloth pattern from Kaye Gardiner and Ann Shaye's Mason-Dixon Knitting book. You can make one too, since Canadian Living shares the pattern for free! [via] Link.

Gnome Embroidery Pattern Download

If you're looking for a new embroidery project, download this cute (and free!) gnome pattern from Andrea Zuill's blog Badbirds. Link.

Related:
Andrea Zuill's Appliquéd Deer Quilt - Link.

"Color Chart" Exhibit at the MoMA

An exhibit is opening at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC this Sunday, called "Color Chart: Reinventing Color, 1950 to Today." From the info page:

Color Chart celebrates a paradox: the lush beauty that results when contemporary artists assign color decisions to chance, readymade source, or arbitrary system. Midway through the twentieth century, long-held convictions regarding the spiritual truth or scientific validity of particular colors gave way to an excitement about color as a mass-produced and standardized commercial product.

This exhibit features work by artists who appropriate color from readymade sources (paints, bulbs, tapes) and put them to good use; very crafty - [via] Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Feb 28, 2008 04:00 PM
Arts | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Quilled Flowers

I love the intricate quilled paper flowers made by All Things Jenuine, they are delicate yet playful works of art. What a perfect way to perk up your home for Spring! Link.

Related:
Quilling Tutorials @ Witty Living - Link.

Simple Picture Frame from Office Supplies

Randy made this super simple (and elegant, I think) picture frame from string, paper, tape, and paperclips. - Link.

Related:

Recycled Valentine's Candy Box Picture Frame - Link.
LED Popsicle stick picture frame - Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Feb 28, 2008 02:00 PM
Home and Garden, Homemade, Recycle | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

CInderblock Sugarcubes

Check out these fun sugarcubes made to look like miniature cinder blocks! They were created by artist Jon Truex (in collaboration with Audrey Russel). Unless you're Smurf-sized, you probably won't be able to build anything useful with them, but they sure would be a fun way to sweeten up your drink. [via] Link.

The Midcentury Supper Club

I just stumbled upon this fun Flickr group called the Midcentury Supper Club, where participants made recipes from old-school cookbooks and post their photos online. The above pic by Miss Retro Modern features a "Ham and Egg Combo" made with fake ham, mayo, and cheese. As the author notes, "I'd like to tell you all it was horrid, but actually I ... erm, kinda liked it. Don't get me wrong, I'll NEVER make this again, but it was surprisingly edible!" I'll take her word for it. Link.

From the pages of CRAFT:
<img

CRAFT: 06 - "The Craft of Casseroles" by Cathy Callahan, pg. 18. Digital Subscribers can read the full article here. - Link.
Don't miss an issue! Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine today and get 4 quarterly issues delivered to your door. - Link.

Classic Nintendo T-shirt Stencil

Nintentostencil
Marieann on DIYnamite has this classic Nintendo stencil available for download so you can print it on your own t-shirt. Perfect gift for the gamers you know! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 28, 2008 11:00 AM
Printing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Batting Guide

Qmaba3
For all you quilters out there, Amy of Happy Things has written up a great batting guide on Sew, Mama, Sew! She covers cotton blends, synthetics, wool/silk, cotton flannel, and all the rest. This is one of the most comprehensive guides I've seen! [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Quilting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Prairie Boots

Boots Wheatgreen
These Prairie Boots designed by JulieWeisenberger look like the cozies slippers to keep your feet warm. The pattern is available at Coco Knits for just $6. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Bazaar, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Knit Bunny Cozies

Bunny+2-1
Zakka Life has a cute pattern to knit up these bunny egg cozies. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 28, 2008 09:00 AM
Holiday projects, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Felted Nesting Bowls

Bowls1
Derek and Lauren on design*sponge feature these felted nesting bowls made by Lauren's younger sister Jessie from the book Oneskein. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 28, 2008 08:00 AM
Felting, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Crochet an Axe and Chainsaw

crochet axe and chainsaw
The AntiCraft has a handy pattern and suggested reading and viewing list for crocheting your own axe and chainsaw. [via] Link.

The February Sampler

february 2008 sampler
Another day, another awesome Sampler. You know The Sampler is going to be good when it includes the likes of Sublime Stitching. It took a long time to pick any favorites, but here are some selections that I thought were pretty cool:

"Recycle or we will eat your pants" fabric patch by Andy Eats Only Candy - Link.
Promise Rings by Tumbleweed Bead Co - Link.
Presidential Moustaches pins by Girl on the Rocks - Link.
Virgin of Guadalupe tea towel by Sublime Stitching - Link.

Find out more on how to subscribe or contribute to the Sampler here. - Link.

CraftSanity - Anna Maria Horner Fabric Giveaway

Drawing.Room
Head on over to CraftSanity to find out details on how you can get even more fabric where you can enter your chance to win some of Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room fabric. The deadline is Friday, Feb 29 at 10am EST. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 28, 2008 12:00 AM
Announcements, Fabric | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

February 27, 2008

HOW TO - Make Easter Egg Cards

Martha Stewart just kicked off her Easter Workshop series with a super-sweet egg card project. Visit her site for the step-by-step instructions and more project photos. Link.

Related:
• HOW TO - Knit an Easter Egg - Link.
• HOW TO - Hollow Easter Eggs @ MAKE - Link.
• Star Wars Papercraft Easter Egg Baskets - Link.

Recycled Linoleum Jewelry by Betty Jo Designs

On a visit to my friend Hannah's house, she showed me some recent purchases she'd made from an amazing jewelry artist named Liz Jones of Betty Jo Designs. Liz takes discarded vintage linoleum and turns it into amazing and intricate multi-layered brooches and necklaces. Find out more at Liz's "LinoForest" blog. Link.

UMAgurumi

Unusual Marine Animals, or UMAgurumi, are these fun little sea creatures for you to crochet. Check out the humpback whale, sea dragon, and sea slug - Link.

Related:

Amigurumi Snail - Link.
Amigurumi Eel - Link.
Amigurumi Octopus Pattern - Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Feb 27, 2008 04:00 PM
Amigurumi and Toys, Patterns | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Make Bacon Curls

Megan at Not Martha shares her experiments in creating curly bacon straws--perfect for the next time you want to make a Shirley Temple doll out of meat. Link.

Punch-Out Scarf

This videogame-inspired scarf already sold on Etsy, but it's majorly inspiring. Kimberly Pye writes in with the tip. I wonder what the back of each character looks like! - [via] Link.

Related:

Massive Scarf Roundup - Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Feb 27, 2008 02:00 PM
Knitting, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

I Heart Mr. T Art Show in Portland

Artwork: "Stitched T" by Cathy Pitters

Next week, Moshi Moshi Gallery in Portland will be hosting a cool group art show curated by Levi Pitters, a 10-year old Mr. T fan and artist (who also happens to be the son of Crafty Wonderland's Cathy Pitters). From the press release:

For the first time ever, twenty of Portland's finest artists will come together to present "I (Heart) Mr. T" - a show of art based on America's favorite Mohawked Messiah. Levi Pitters, a ten year-old artist and Mr. T enthusiast, came up with the idea and recruited some of his talented friends to create artwork dedicated to his idol. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of art in this show will be donated to a scholarship fund to help send 5th graders in Levi's school to Opal Creek - a three day outdoor education program held in June. Mr. T would approve!

Featured artists include Bwana Spoons, Ryan Berkeley, Chelsea Fletcher and more. Link.

Opening Reception on First Thursday in March
March 6, 2008 from 6 -9pm
@ Moshi Moshi
916 W. Burnside (btw 9th & 10th)
Portland, Oregon

Related:
HOW TO: Make a Mr. T Costume @ MAKE - Link.

Origami Rubik's Cube Card

Craftster user Jehnaier and her boyfriend created this intricate origami Rubik's Cube card for their math teacher. The card took 936 paper folds to create and opens up to reveal their message. Link.

Related:
• Rubik's Cube Cake - Link.
• Make a Rubik's Cube out of Dice @ MAKE - Link.

Free Giveaway - $50 Gift Certificate to Warm Biscuit Bedding Company!

Warmbiscuit
Thanks to the Warm Biscuit Bedding Company, we've got an extra special giveaway this week to one special Craftzine reader! One random winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to get anything they want on the Warm Biscuit site. And can we talk fabrics? Warm Biscuit's got some amaaazing fabrics, including some really fun prints, oilcoth, and even fun trims! If you've got a little one in your life, check out their baby and children's sections too! You can use the gift certificate for a fun shopping spree!

Just leave a comment in this post to enter the giveaway. Please make sure you enter your full name in the comments and you can also add your email address if you are comfortable with it (spell it all out for anti-spam protection). All comments will be closed by 11am PST on Friday, Feb 29th. The lucky winner will be announced Friday evening on the CRAFT blog. Good Luck!

Update 2/28: Great news everyone! Warm Biscuit is now giving away TWO $50 gift certificates! So we'll be announcing two lucky winners tomorrow!

Update Friday 2/29: Thanks for everyone who entered! This giveaway is now closed.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 27, 2008 11:00 AM
Announcements, Fabric | Permalink | Comments (639) | Email Entry

MetaPatterns Spring/Summer 2008

Metapatterns
Check out the great free knitting patterns on the new site MetaPostModernKnitting. The new Spring/Summer issue features some great patterns like this Runway Bolero and the MetaPostModern Legwarmers. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 27, 2008 10:00 AM
Fashion, Knitting, Patterns | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Yoda Cake

Yodacake
Bonnie of the Star Wars Blog points us to this realistic little Yoda cake by Socake. His torso is cake covered with buttercream, and dressed with fondant clothing, arms, and feet. The skull is made of chocolate brown Rice Krispies. Fondant makes up the features of the head, including those distinctively-Yoda-ish ears. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 27, 2008 09:00 AM
Food | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Peepy Yarn Basket

Peepyyarnbasket
CRAFT friend Beth knit up this cute Peepy Yarn basket from this Peepy Basket kit by Material Whirled. Six peepys are tied to throughout the spun yarn that's soft wool, targheel, polypay, and merino in pretty shades of green. The kit comes with everything you need for just $35. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 27, 2008 08:00 AM
Holiday projects, Knitting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

The Art of Wooing

Kaz Brecher has self-published The Art of Wooing, a "mixed media art and poetry book with a story told through email exchange" about an 18 month long relationship with her kickboxing instructor. The book is only available through the website or you can pick up a copy at the book release party in Los Angeles at Fresh Pressed tomorrow February 28th. Link.

Vadis Turner Art Quilts

The Love Forever blog posted about a Sadie Magazine interview with Vadis Turner, an artist that makes feminine objects like quilts and tea sets out of unconventional materials like pantyhose, tampon wrappers, beads and curlers. She has even made a prom dress out of equal packets. [via] Link.

February 26, 2008

HOW TO - Turn a Soda Crate into a Picture Frame

The Goddess of Garbage teaches you how to turn a vintage soda crate into a rustic photo frame. [via] Link.

Mixymo's Dress of Scraps

Craftster user Mixymo made a New Year's Resolution to get rid of all her scrap fabric somehow. Here's how she did it: by cutting the scraps into countless petal shapes to make this amazing dress. Wow! More pix and details at the source. Link.

Papercraft Animated GIF

This animated GIF utilizes stop-motion animation and cutout stars to give a toy llama a cartoon flair. I agree with the folks at the Core77 design blog; it reminds me of Jen Stark's sculptures - [via] Link.

Related:

The sculpture of Jen Stark - Link.

HOW TO - Make Your Own Aioli

The Little Acorn blog shows you how to make your own super-delicious garlicky aioli at home. Link.

Clive Thompson on How DIYers Just Might Revive American Innovation

Phil @ MAKE points us to this article by Wired Magazine's Clive Thompson:

What a mess. I'm sitting on the floor of my apartment, surrounded by electronic parts, a cigar box, a soldering gun, and stray bits of wire. I'm trying to build my own steampunk-style clock -- hacking a couple of volt meter dials to display hours and minutes. It'll look awesome when it's done.

If it ever gets done -- I keep botching the soldering. A well-soldered joint is supposed to look like a small, shiny volcano. My attempts look like mashed insects, and they crack when I try to assemble the device.

Why am I so inept? I used to do projects like this all the time when I was a kid. But in high school, I was carefully diverted from shop class when the administration decided I was college-bound. I stopped working with my hands and have barely touched a tool since.

As it turns out, this isn't a problem just for me -- it's a problem for America. We've lost our Everyman ability to build, maintain, and repair the devices we rely on every day. And that's making it harder to solve the country's nastiest problems, like oil dependence, climate change, and global competitiveness.

He cites MAKE magazine as a prime example of this movement, and I think we at CRAFT espouse this sentiment as well - Link.

Related:

CRAFT volume 1: Handmade (including the above pictured American flag by Dave Cole) - Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Feb 26, 2008 02:00 PM
Arts, General | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

Jewelry by Gesine Hackenberg

I absolutely love this new jewelry collection from artist Gesine Hackenberg, created from repurposed fine china. The hole-ridden plates the process produces are nearly as lovely as the jewelry. [via] Link.

Igloo Bookhouse

Boing Boing just linked to this amazing Flickr set, which shows off a bookcase a Tokyo man made which completely surrounds his bed. See the project from start to finish in Akamé's photostream. [via] Link.

Downloadable Paper Pencil Covers

Pencilcovers
I love the French magazine Marie Claire Idees and now they have a blog too! Even if you can't read French, this project to make pencil covers is simple enough. Just print out the pretty patterned PDF templates, print from you computer, and glue over pencils or even better some colored pencils. Make up a little set and give it as a gift with a small sketch pad. Merci Petite Main! Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 26, 2008 11:00 AM
Paper Crafts | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email Entry

Make Your Own Handwriting Font

Yourownfont
I used to write all the time as a kid and practice my handwriting over and over. These days, I'm lucky if I can read my own chicken scratch. Thank you to Jessica at How About Orange for pointing us to Fontifier. a site that can convert your handwriting into a font for just $9. Try it with your kid's writing or have grandma with that excellent penmanship take a whirl at it. Seems like a more personal way to create fonts to use in your design, photos, or craft projects. [ via ] Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 26, 2008 10:00 AM
Digital Design and Photography | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

Fabric Pillow Ring

Fabricring
Crafty Chica shows you how to reuse those tiny fabric scraps to make this funky fabric pillow ring. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 26, 2008 09:00 AM
Jewelry, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

HOW TO - Make Patterns with Photoshop

Patternsinps
Craft Chi expands on her great tutorial on how to design your own patterned paper with this one showing you how to create repeating patterns by using Photoshop. Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Feb 26, 2008 08:00 AM
Digital Design and Photography | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

City Sampler: Boston

february boston sampler
I just got my first Sampler filled with goodies from Boston's crafters. I spent a long time looking through all the great stuff and finally narrowed it down to a few favorites:

Luggage tags from Destination Unknown Journals featuring "Boston of the Future." - Link.
A mini pincushion by Thimblewinder - Link.
Gift tags and paper swatches by Rifferaff - Link.
Sterling silver earrings from My Sunset Road - Link.
Squid greeting card from ShortcakeScraps - Link.

Find out more on how to subscribe or contribute to the Sampler here. - Link.

HOW TO - Make an Axolotl Cake

axolotl cake
Beth Johnson must be the greatest friend ever. She made this cake that looks like an axolotl for a friend's birthday and posted instructions so you can make your own. Apparently an axolotl is a kind of salamander. Thanks to Michelle for sending this in. Link.