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Archive: Contests
November 6, 2009
Glamourpuss Book Giveaway Winners
The winners from last week's book giveaway for Glamourpuss by Julie Jackson are: Laura from Bronx, NY, Warren from Alexandria, VA, and Virginie from Kiel, Germany. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 6, 2009 08:00 PM
Books and Magazines, Contests |
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November 4, 2009
Paper Cutout Giveaway
Remember the amazing paper cutouts that I found at the thrift store last week? Well, I went back and picked up 10 sets to mail off to some lucky readers. Just leave a comment on this thread about your love of paper crafts for your chance to win one! The paper cuts are in pretty vintage envelopes, with multiple designs and colors in each. And their crafting potential is endless! The winners will be selected tomorrow so please enter by noon PST Thursday. And please include your email in the form field to be eligible (emails will not be published). Good luck!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 4, 2009 10:00 AM
Contests, Paper Crafts |
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November 2, 2009
Crafty Chica Challenge: Day of the Dead Shrine Winners
Thanks to everyone who entered our Crafty Chica Challenge: Create a Day of the Dead Shrine! The winners are in...
Grand Prize Winner:
Shawnee from Life with Monkey (smonkey on flickr) is the Grand Prize winner with this shrine paying homage to her late mother who died last year, as well as her father who died before she turned two. You can read the complete story about her shrine on her blog.
Runners' Up:
Maumby's shrine to her brother Nico.
Lalabaloobah's shrine for her grandparents, great-grandparents, and her father.
Nikimaki's shrine for Grandma and Grandpa.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 2, 2009 05:45 PM
Contests |
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November 1, 2009
Celebrate the Day of the Dead!
It's finally Dia de los Muertos, or, Day of the Dead. I've lit the candles on my shrine, and reflected and celebrated the lives of my loved ones who have passed on. This year the holiday has been particularly rewarding due to the crafty energy that I put into my altar. I have loved looking at the images and stories submitted to the Crafty Chica Challenge, there are truly moving pieces of art posted. The special emotions and memories that have been shared in the flickr pool are just amazing. Enjoy life, everyone!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 1, 2009 06:00 PM
Contests, Halloween, Holiday projects |
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October 28, 2009
Crafty Chica's Cycle of Life Face Paint
The beautiful and meaningful Day of the Dead is almost here. I hope that you have been working on a shrine to memorialize your loved ones who have passed on, and that you will enter it into the Crafty Chica Shrine Challenge! Kathy Cano-Murillo is a constant source of inspiration, and today I want to share her spectacular cycle of life face paint.
Using face paint found at the costume store, paint half of a face like a sugar skull and leave the other half alone. This represents that in this life or the next we will always be "alive", our spirit is eternal! I've seen all kinds of faces painted in this style and it is inspiring to see the variations on how the skull portion is decorated. You can use black and white, or lots of color and even glitter!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 28, 2009 10:00 AM
Contests |
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October 27, 2009
Crafty Chica Challenge: Day of the Dead Shrine - Deadline Extended to Nov 1!
Hi Crafters! The deadline for the Crafty Chica Challenge: Create a Day of the Dead Shrine has been extended to Sunday, November 1st at 11:59 PDT. Winners will be announced on Monday, November 2nd. It's easy to enter! Just add the photo of your shrine into the Crafty Chica Challenge Flickr Group and enter in a 250 word or less description of what your shrine represents and what materials were used in its creation.
Pictured above is the current altar-in-progress by Connie Ayers, our own Sheena Stevens' mom.
Sheena writes:
She hasn't yet strung together her marigolds and put the finishing touches on the altar, so this is the basic set-up. All of the photos are our loved ones who have passed away. I love having all of their pictures up in the house every year around this time, it's a nice way to remember!
For more Day of the Dead Inspiration:
- Crafty Chica Challenge: Day of the Dead Shrine Inspiration
- How-To: Day of the Dead Advent
- How-To: Start Building a Day of the Dead Altar!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 27, 2009 08:30 PM
Contests |
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Book Review + Giveaway: Glamourpuss by Julie Jackson
Glamourpuss: The Enchanting World of Kitty Wigs by Julie Jackson
Book Site: kittywigs.com
Julie Jackson who brings us Subversive Cross Stitch and Kitty Wigs has reached "eleven" in terms of cuteness with her new book, Glamourpuss: The Enchanting World of Kitty Wigs. The fashionable kitties, photographed by Jill Johnson, are styled in various Kitty Wigs amid scenes of their fashionable life. Hey, it's the world of the supermodel kitties! I love each of the hilarious kitty quotes that go with each photo making it super believable that these kitties are living some kind of extraordinary life that we get a glimpse into.
Book Giveaway Time!
We are giving away 3 copies of Glamourpuss. Just leave a comment in this post and tell us why you want this book. Please make sure you include your email address in the comment form field (won't be published). All comments will be closed by Noon PST on Thursday, October 29th. The lucky winners will be announced on the site. Good luck!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 27, 2009 11:00 AM
Books and Magazines, Contests, Pets |
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October 26, 2009
Twitter Giveaway Winners: Stencil 101 Decor
Congrats to these 3 winners from last weekend's Twitter Giveaway: @serenajasmine, @pompompon, and @emmaneezer for each winning a copy of the new book, Stencil 101 Decor by Ed Roth. Thanks everyone for entering!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 26, 2009 10:17 PM
Books and Magazines, Contests |
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Favorite Scarf (for now)
This is my favorite scarf. That I bought last year.
I have several other favorite scarves. Probably about 10 or so that are favorites, and another dozen or so that I really, really like.
Favorites include the one I got at a thrift store in Germany this summer; the one I bought in San Francisco with my best friend Jenny on a Mom's Night Away; and the one Marie Kare (love ya!) knit for me a few years ago. So many fabulous scarves!
But back to my favorite scarf (that I bought last year).
I got it at Bazaar Bizarre in San Francisco from Lauren Brady, the woman next to the Craftzine booth where I was working. It's designed with quilted pieces on one side and a rust-colored, very soft corduroy on the other.
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Besides the pattern and fabric choices, both of which I love, it includes two clever features. The first is the little embroidered bird on one end. So cute! The other is a button sewn onto the corduroy side about a third of the way down the length, and a corresponding hole sewn into the scarf near the other end. You can button your scarf in place! This keeps you super toasty and super fashionable, all at the same time. Such an awesome feature for a favorite scarf!
And I can't wait to find my next favorite scarf among the entries in the Me, My Scarf, and I contest. You're all clever, crafty, and motivated, so maybe I'll end up with 2 or 3 favorites this year!
Posted by Shawn Connally |
Oct 26, 2009 11:00 AM
Contests, Sewing |
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October 23, 2009
Twitter Giveaway: Stencil 101 Decor
Happy Friday everyone! In celebration of the weekend, we've got a special Twitter Book Giveaway for Stencil 101 by Ed Roth starting now! We are addicted to Twitter! So for this book giveaway, follow @craft on Twitter and send a tweet to us saying "@craft: I need Stencil 101!" You can also add anything else you want to say to us too! We will pick 3 random twitter followers for the prize. Deadline for tweets is Monday, October 26 at 9:00am.
And since you are following us, please also follow @ChronicleBooks for all of their awesome news on books, design, and everything else under the sun! Have a great weekend!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 23, 2009 03:45 PM
Books and Magazines, Contests |
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Shrines, Just Because
My neighbor Teresa Cuseo is an amazing artist and crafter -- every time I talk to her or go over for a visit she's doing something creative, from terrific mosaics to yummy baked goods to cool jewelry and clever shrines.
She recently bought a Day of the Dead crafting book and has plans to make some Day of the Dead altars, but the shrines and altars she's created thus far pay homage to the various incarnations of the Virgin Mary, bicycling, her loved ones, other religious figures, and roses. I like each and every one of them, and think they offer a lot of inspiration for our Day of the Dead shrines, too. Check them out after the jump and see what you think!
Read full story
Posted by Shawn Connally |
Oct 23, 2009 02:00 PM
Arts, Contests, General |
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October 18, 2009
Sadie Fox's Wicked Scarf
Rachel spotted a beautiful version of the Ruffle Scarf inspiration I shared for the Me, My Scarf, and I Singer Sewing Challenge. It was created by Sadie Fox, who has the scarf up on her own blog, and posted on Wardrobe ReFashion. Her site has a ton of fun fashion projects with clever recycled and repurposed twists. I love the color she chose for her scarf, it just looks so great on her, and I hope she had a great time wearing it to the musical Wicked! I also hope that you will enter the contest, for a chance to win a Singer Serger.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 18, 2009 06:00 PM
Contests, Fashion, Fiber Art |
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October 15, 2009
How-To: Day of the Dead Advent
Day of the Dead Advent
By Jessica Wilson
Every year I plan to make a Day of the Dead altar in honor of my mom and every year, I lose track of time and never manage to pull it off. This year, I have created a countdown, an advent of sorts so that you take a couple of hours on one day to gather your supplies and create your jar of advent, and then, for 10 days, you spend a little time working on your altar/shrine while reminiscing about your loved ones passed. Make sure to begin your altar no later than October 22.
If you are thinking of joining in on Crafty Chica's Day of the Dead Challenge but feel intimidated, never fear, this tutorial breaks it down for you in 10 easy steps!
Read full story
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 15, 2009 12:00 PM
Contests, CRAFT Projects, Halloween |
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October 13, 2009
How-To: Sew a Ruffled Scarf
One day I decided to put away all my deadlines and all my unfinished projects, and to instead design something just for fun, to please only the fiber-artist-fashionista within me. I dug around in a bin of wool sweaters and found a truly hideous gray knit poncho. I plugged in my sewing machine and started playing around with a method that I used in Feltique, where the edge of a knit sweater gets a ruffled edge. It's an easy technique that my friend Alix of Treehouse 28 taught me way back in the day. But I tend to be chronically unsatisfied and wanted even more ruffles. So I gathered the whole thing up on a long black ribbon. It was the perfect touch. I had made myself a scarf that really embodies who I am as a crafter right now. It's got pure drama, ruffles and ribbon, and a versatile look that can be altered on a whim. Plus, the whole thing is made from my current favorite material: recycled wool.
Crafting has major roots in self-expression. And contests are all about challenging yourself. I encourage you to listen to your own inner creative voice, and to really trust your personal design process. Submit your scarf, with a description of how it aligns with your personality, to the Singer Contest: Me, My Scarf, and I. The grand prize is an amazing Singer ProFinish Serger, and I know that's just what you've always wanted!
Read full story
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 13, 2009 12:00 PM
Contests, CRAFT Projects, Sewing |
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Mochimochi Photo Contest
It's the 3rd annual Mochimochi Photo Contest!
Anna writes:
Once again, we're looking for the cutest, funniest, most interesting photo of a Mochimochi Land toy. All you have to do to enter is upload your photo(s) to the Mochimochi Friends group on Flickr by November 16th. Like previous years, winners will receive cute goodies from Japan and gift certificates from Mochimochi Land, PLUS this year they will also get gift certificates from Knit Picks! To be eligible, your photo must contain at least one knitted toy made from a Mochimochi Land pattern. This can either be a pattern from the Mochimochi Shop or one of the free patterns on the Mochimochi Blog.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 13, 2009 11:00 AM
Amigurumi and Toys, Contests, Photography |
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October 12, 2009
Singer Contest: Me, My Scarf, and I
CRAFT and SINGER® present the Me, My Scarf, and I Contest. Fall is upon us, and what better accessory than a scarf! We invite all of our crafty readers to participate and create a sewn scarf that best describes your personality! All entries must have some portion created using a sewing machine.
The Me, My Scarf, and I Contest will run for 6 weeks, and the Prize winners will be announced by Monday, November 30th. Deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. PDT November 23, 2009. Each entry will be judged based on the following criteria: creativity of design, description of how the scarf represents the creator, and the use of a sewing machine in the creation process. Please see Official Rules for more information on the Winner selection.
To submit an entry, simply take a picture of yourself wearing your scarf, include a description of how the scarf describes your personality, and submit it to the Me, My Scarf, and I Contest Flickr Group.
If you're joining in on the contest, here's the code for the badge to display on your site or blog.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1229922@N20/"><img src="http://cdn.makezine.com/make/craft/badge_singer_scarfcontest.gif" width="150" height="144" border="0" alt="CRAFT: Singer Contest - Me, My Scarf, and I" /></a>
Pictured above is our own Brookelynn Morris wearing a Ruffle Scarf she sewed up using recycled wool from an old poncho. Watch for her inspirational project in tomorrow's How-To Tuesday.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 12, 2009 02:00 PM
Contests, Sewing |
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October 8, 2009
Winners of the Photojojo! Book Giveaway
Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a copy of the new book, Photojojo! Insanely Great Photo Projects and DIY Ideas by Amit Gupta with Kelly Jensen. Congratulations to our three winners: Jacklyn from Jackson, NJ, Lowrah from Minneapolis, MN, and Billy from Riverside, CA. More giveaways to come soon!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 8, 2009 10:00 PM
Books and Magazines, Contests |
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October 7, 2009
Day of the Dead Shrine
My Day of the Dead shrine has officially taken over my house! The smell of flowers, tequila and chocolate is unescapable. Each day I've worked on it and added to it, and it's finally covered in the nostalgic personal touches that represent my family and loved ones who have passed away. I will continue to be inspired, and have even more to share as the month goes by. I hope that you will also create a Day of the Dead shrine for our Crafty Chica Challenge.
My aesthetic is all about color, texture, and visual excitement. I packed every inch of my shrine with treasures. There is beach glass, rose petals, candles, seashells filled with quinoa and seashells filled with chocolate. My husband's grandfather's zippo, a candleholder from my beloved aunt, salt and pepper shakers and old spoons from my grandma, and of course, booze!
The beautiful mermaid skeleton bride is from Mexico, brought back from a trip by my sweet friend Leandra. I love it's creepy/pretty look.
The big black and white tile is also from Mexico, brought back by my grandfather. For as long as I can remember, my grandmother kept that tile on the hearth, with a big houseplant sitting on it. I've placed it on the altar and set out 4 shots of tequilla on it. Another traditional offering that I included is tobacco. There is an old cigar that's practically broken apart, but it's perfect for my shrine. The offerings can be anything that you think your ancestors and friends would enjoy and be comforted by. But in the end, I think creating this project is a comfort to me, and to the living who go on every day with fond memories.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 7, 2009 10:00 AM
Contests, Halloween, Holiday projects |
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October 5, 2009
Festive Flowers for the Day of the Dead
My Day of the Dead shrine is taking shape, and so is the Crafty Chica Challenge! Please submit photos of your personal and crafty shrines for a chance to win some really great prizes. My take on the celebration is far from traditional, but I wouldn't change a thing. I started with gathering supplies and prepping the space. Then yesterday I made some glitter clothepins to hang photographs of my friends and family. Today I'm sharing the fresh and colorful flowers. I used roses gladiolas, zinnias, mums, amaranth and other wildflowers from the Occidental Farmer's Market. Working with the flowers is one of my favorite parts of building this shrine.
To prepare the flowers, I removed all the leaves from any part of the stems that would be under water and gave each flower a fresh cut. I will re-cut the stems of each arrangement every few days and change out their water to give the flowers the longest vase life. The set up for the shrine includes some glass vases, but I also put flowers in a gravy boat, my grandmother's Bauer juice pitcher, and a tiny teacup. To get the zinnias to fill the wide mouthed gravy boat, I used a cage frog. It has wide spaces for holding the stems at any angle. The holder stands the flowers up so that it takes fewer blooms to create a dramatic look.
I also took a tiny zinnia and two little flowers from my yard and put them in a very small container. I cut the stems to less than 1 inch so that they wouldn't throw off the balance of the ity bity vase. This little treasure is actually from Iran, but its shape and color fit right in with my chaotic theme and colorful theme. All that's left to complete the vision is the addition of my nostalgic mementos, offerings and candles!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 5, 2009 05:00 PM
Contests, Halloween, Holiday projects |
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October 4, 2009
How-To: 1-2-3 Glitter Clothespin Photo Hangers
Today I got out the glitter for the next step in my Day of the Dead shrine. My altar is hung with garlands, and I wanted to attach photos of my loved ones to them. I spent last night selecting my favorite pictures, and I love seeing them hanging up. If you are working on a shrine as well, I hope you will share images. Also be sure to submit them as entries to the Crafty Chica Day of the Dead Challenge for a chance to win some great prizes!
Clothespins were the perfect choice, but I had to give them a quick makeover. I channeled my inner Crafty Chica, and added some simple sparkle. To begin, I smeared a thin layer of Elmer's on the top side. Then I dumped a pile of glitter on my work surface and just pressed each clothespin in it.
Next, I looped about 2 inches of wire into the spring of each clothespin. I used the wire to secure the clothespin to the garland, then clipped in the photos.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 4, 2009 06:00 PM
Contests, CRAFT Projects, Halloween |
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