Craft Test Dummies

If you are in the Northeast Ohio region, it’s time once again for the Sewing and Quilting Expo at the IX Center. If you remember, last year I made it my own personal holiday with my best-quilty-friend Nicole, and we went for the weekend. We took some classes, did some shopping, and overall had a great time.

I think I’m taking my 4 year old daughter with me today to soak up some crafty/quilty/sewing goodness. Yee-haw!

If you’d like to read about our exploits last year I gots some links for ya:

http://www.crafttestdummies.com/2008/03/30/back-from-the-sewing-expo-part-one-of-three/

http://www.crafttestdummies.com/2008/03/31/back-from-the-sewing-expo-part-2-of-3/

…and what ever happened to part 3???? Couldn’t tell ya. I think I was going to share all of the goodies I bought…ooops! Guess I’ll have to do that THIS year!

My good blog-errfic artist pal Katherine at Moonswings did a “Pay it Forward” post, and I got lucky. (Or, I’m just special.)

Here’s the deal: Katherine gave me a scrumptious envelope filled with goodies… and so I’m payin’ it forward by offering   THREE scruptious envelopes of goodies for my readers. Simple enough to score one. Here’s da rules:

• You must leave a comment on this blog.
• You must have your OWN blog…and offer the same deal to YOUR readers
• You must link back to me, so I know you followed through.

Are the Art Police gonna show up if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain? No. Will Karma stalk you? Perhaps. Will you spoil the fun? Absolutely! So leave your comment, and I’m getting my packets ready. I think I’m gonna toss in some polymer clay beads in mine….hmmm.

I’ll choose 3 folks randomly (if I have more than 3 comments) by on Saturday, March 28th. I’ll contact you via e-mail to get your address….so don’t leave it in the comments section.

Get to commenting, folks!

I just finished my second paper doll design for Stamplistic…and since spring is almost upon us, I went with a flower fairie theme.  I’m using an Accu-Cut die and materials available at the store. Sorry, but I can’t give you more specifics…the store will, however, be making up kits to purchase sometime in the near future. But you get a sneak peek!

Just an update- I’ve changed my Twitter ID to CraftTestDummy, so I’m easy to find.  I send tweets about sales, works in progress, and my crafty view on life.

Signing up for Twitter is free, and if you haven’t “tweeted” yet, try it out!

Oh, sad day! I just got an e-mail that my new favorite magazine, CRAFT, is dead. The last issue with Amy Sedaris on the cover is the last one they’ll publish. This is a bummer, because I just got a subscription for Christmas!

Here’s part of the e-mail I got..

Lately you’ve been telling us something that we’ve found increasingly true: Do-It-Yourself interests – from tech to fashion, science to crafts – are increasingly converging on the web. Our craftzine.com community is thriving. At the same time, print magazines are facing rising production costs and shrinking ad markets. Therefore, it makes less sense for us to publish two separate print magazines in the DIY space. Craft: Volume 10, our Celebration issue, will be the final issue of CRAFT magazine.…

...We will continue to publish the print version of MAKE Magazine. We will send you an issue of MAKE for every remaining issue you have in your CRAFT subscription. We know you’ll enjoy it. The same editors who work on CRAFT work on MAKE, giving it the same spirit of Martha-meets-MacGuyver innovation and inspiration. Already, over a dozen articles commissioned for CRAFT are destined for future issues of MAKE this year.

They say that they’ll also refund your subscription if you e-mail them at: cs@readerservices.craftzine.com or by phone at 818-487-2037 or toll-free at 866-368-5652. We’ll see… I asked for a refund.  I’m just not that into MAKE, it’s a litte too techy for me… I craft it old school, I guess.

Sad day! CRAFT, r.i.p.!

OK, so I blogged about the Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting show in Scotsdale AZ months ago, but Stephen Colbert also did a piece regarding “renegade knitters….”- very funny! Enjoy!

A "Mom and Me" class!

We’ll be making a polymer clay gift set with a pin and coordinating keepsake tin. We’ll fashion a block of clay into a great gift for your favorite Mom or Grandma or to keep. Class fee of $42 includes all materials.  Age 10 and up may work independantly but under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. (Or adults can come sans child….grownups are welcome!)
visit http://www.grandriverbeads.com/calendar.html to see the sample and sign up online!

Well, I’ve got a little Thanksgiving give away for you: a book called “Fantastic Folds: Origami Projects” by Andrew Stoker. It’s chock-full of origami animals, boxes, envelopes, and other goodies.

Leave a comment, I"ll draw a name!

I was into making little gift boxes for a while, and now I’d like to pass on the crafty love. If you’d like it, just leave me a comment on this post, and on Friday I’ll pick a name and contact the winner via e-mail. I’ll even pay the shipping!

Use woven fusible interfacing in lieu of paper!

In the meantime, and I have an origami tip to share, from CraftStylish. Instead of using paper for your origami, try woven, fusible backed interfacing. It’s stiffer and holds up well for larger projects, and (oh, happy day!) you can iron it to keep the folds from…um….unfolding! I love the idea of using the crisp white interfacing for the deer that they showed on their site. Sorry, no free instructions for the deer, but you can find free origami patterns at OrigamiUsa.org– lots of terms, diagrams, even places to find a group!

Ok, so leave a comment, and I’ll announce the winner on Friday!

Cute Little Wine Class Cozies!

If your life is anything like mine, you constantly need little gifties to hand out. (Thankfully, it’s a small price to pay for someone else cooking dinner!) Anyhoo, I ran across this cute idea at CraftStylish and I’m going to get a-sewing so that I have a set of these for my Thanksgiving Hostess.

(By the way, these are called coasters, but what they really are are little cozies for the foot of a wine glass. They are a great way to distinguish who has what glass. Charms are so over!)

I’m  guessing that you could also do a version of these as circles– and dress them up a bit as ornaments. Just a thought.  I think it would be super cute to whip up a set of 4 or 8 of these and present them with a bottle of wine.  And what a great way to use up scraps!  Surf on over, and have fun!

Ok, so here’s a quick and cute “pink ribbon” craft, using safety pins and seed beads. I know I have a million of these little buggers around, so I’m going to get busy. Surf on over to About.com’s family crafts, and you can get the full instructions.

This is the basic grid…  and I’m sorry I can’t share a finished product with you– couldn’t find an image of one completed on the internet, and I’m just getting started on mine.

Anyone have one they’d like to share?

(PS– mad props to Shari Osborn for sharing the pattern. You rock!)