Crafts in Chelsea Giveaway Day 1
Things week I’m organizing a giveaway promoting the Crafts in Chelsea event. Every day this week you can enter to win some amazing handcrafted items by New York City area artisans.
Crafts in Chelsea Giveaway Day 2
So go ahead and enter! If you’re on facebook or twitter it will take you less then a minute. Here are some images of the things you can win.
Julia!
I think they’ll have a good home there because Julia can make beauties like these:
which I think is totally amazing.
Congratulations!
Okay, this is why I love this blog. I get letters like this in support of my book club project:
Hi Simone!While I am really making an effort to not increase the size of my craft book library, I am so happy that I bought this book! I am a huge fan of Patricia Zapata’s blog, A Little Hut. It is a never-ending source of inspiration.I made the Shadow Forest and found the instructions to be concise, the project to be forgiving and the results to be wonderful. I only wish I could have photographed it better!There aren’t many things in this book that I would not make! My only challenge is finding the larger paper sizes, but that is a matter of my locale, not the paper. I guess it’s time for a trip to the “big city”!Thanks for making this round a paper project! Loved it!Looking forward to the next book!Your friend in Florida,
Today we are discussing Home, Paper Scissors by Patricia Zapata who also publishes A Little Hut. This book was my introduction to paper crafts. Paper, visual arts, drawing, painting, all that intimidates the heck out of me. So for me it was good to sit down with a friendly, pretty book that took down my approach anxiety. The book begins with an overview of the different types of paper and tools one would need for these projects. Following this brief introduction, the book is divided into Decorating, Entertaining and Gifting chapters. As I leafed through the projects there were a bunch that I would like to make such as:
This is where I came to my first realization. You need to plan ahead a little to make these projects. Many of them require larger sized or heavier paper, so look through the book and make a supply list. The next time you find yourself wandering around in an arts supply store, you can efficiently whip out your list and shop around with a specific project in mind.
Ever the procrastinator I went with the Shadow Forest Wall Hanging on p. 24. I only had white card stock and decided to print out digital scrap booking patterns on two sheets to substitute the different colored card stocks used in this project. This was my first adventure with my crafting knife. It was surprising how easy it was to cut the patterns . . . once I changed the dull blade. I loved Patricia’s transfer trick. Copy something onto tracing paper and then turn the paper around and retrace the pattern thus transferring the pencil lead unto your paper. Tada!
I did not have the requisite balsa wood strips necessary to separate the sheets to create the three-dimensional feel of the hanging. However, I do have a lot of wooden clothespins. I separated the halves of the pins and glued those between the sheets. Another clothespin substituted the hanging mechanism. I’m quite happy with this hanging except for the glue warping the paper on the top. Next time I’ll be a little bit more sparing with the white stuff. The hanging woud be a nice addition to a guest room or a weekend house. For now it’s hanging on my shelf.
Will close at the end of October 31st and involves these gorgeous needles. Contribute to this book club meeting and you might win these needles. You can find more details here.
Random.org has spoken and the winner of the giveaway is:
Adrienne
Adrienne of Sawmonkey Knits picked this cool tote bag by bungaloe as her favorite item produced by a member of The {NewNew} Etsy Street Team.
b 72nd street factory tote bag
Also, don’t forget to vote for the next Craftevolution Book Club Book using the poll on the right.
Yesterday at the Spring Handmade Cavalcade, I experienced an Etsy groupie’s dream come true. Etsy was one of the sponsors of this two-day-event organized by The NewNew street team. During the craft show, Etsy generously bought and served each vendor a mimosa. By the time it was my turn, the flutes slipped off the tray and spilled in front of my display. Everything was fine, no one was hurt, only the corner of this fold-up shopping bag got a little damp. So here is your opportunity - you too can vicariously become part of that moment by entering this giveaway to win the bag that was touched by Etsy. To enter,
1. Go to etsy.com
2. Type “newnewteam” in the search field and click Search
3. From the search result page, select a product you like and copy and paste the link to the product into the comment section of this post
That’s it. The giveaway closes on Friday May 15 at midnight EST and I will pick a winner on Saturday.
According to Random.org’s new widget:
Rachel who liked the elegant blue star bag best:
and Myrnie of iwonderwoman.blogspot.com who preferred the fused plastic card holder:
They will receive these wooden eggs:
I can’t wait to see what they’ll make. More eggs are available in my shop.
By the way, the most popular item was this bag:
I recently came into a large clutch of wooden eggs and have been wondering what to do with them that didn’t involve painting. So I present: the sampler eggs. These eggs are wrapped in fabric and embroidered with simple stitches you might find as part of an old fashioned embroidery sampler. For the giveaway, instructions below, I’m offering up two clutches of wooden eggs.
You need:
These eggs are 35 x 50 mm large. To cover them I used a 6″ X 6″ size piece of fabric. Experiment with the egg and fabric you are using and cut the fabric to a size that works for your egg.
Wrap the fabric around the egg and temporarily secure it with a rubberband.
Gather the fabric by sewing right beneath the rubber band. Remove the rubber band, wrap the thread several times around the “neck,” and secure the thread. The thread should be long enough to come out of the top so you can use it to hang the eggs.
Now have at it. Embroider the egg however you wish. I looked up some stitches in Complete Embellishing, by Kayte Terry, I never seem to be able to remember how to do a French knot.
Alternatively, you can also embroider the fabric before you wrap it around the egg.
To finish it off, tie a little ribbon around the egg and Voila! You are done. Happy Spring.
This time there will be two lucky winners: I’m giving away one clutch of five 35 x 50 mm sized wooden eggs, and one clutch of ten 25 X 30 mm eggs
For the giveaway, visit my Etsy shop Groundsel, pick a thing you like, and leave a comment here with a link to that item. The giveaway closes at midnight on March 3rd. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 4th.
And the winner of the giveaway is:
It looks like resellers, i.e. thrift stores, will not be required to test things they sell that are intended for children 12 and under. However they will be liable if it turns out that their wares contain lead. CPSC Press Release
If you want to vote on Change.org to alert President Obama to the impact that the CPSIA will have on small craftspeople, click here.
For an article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal about the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act, click here.
I won something in a giveaway for the first time. Deb of dhbusher.com gave away these cool little matchbook notebooks. Mine is the second one from the bottom. They would make great favors, don’t you think?
I finally finished this bag, again based on Lisa’s basic pattern. I had cut out everything in December and promised myself that I wouldn’t start another project until I completed this one. This is another one in my recycled sweater series. My shtick is to felt sweaters and re-purpose the shrunken marvels into handbags. This one used to be a sweater vest. You can still see part of the ribbing on the top of the bag. The front pocket and the handle-holder-bits used to be part of the decorative trim around the v-neck. I love the pink lining. It used to be part of a petticoat that I made to be worn under a lace skirt. All part of my Material Girl phase. I think the black rubber bracelets will make a comeback. I can just sense it.
Now it’s time to get started on the Book Club project out of Bend-the-Rules Sewing. The book club will meet Wednesday, February 4th.
On February 9th, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA, it’s a mouthful) will take effect. It was enacted in the wake of the lead toy scandal of 2007 when toys with dangerously high lead content and/or unsafe small parts and magnets that were primarily manufactured in China had to be recalled. The law requires sellers of products intended for children ages 12 and under to certify that the item (clothing, school supplies, cloth diapers, car seats, boy scout patches, bicycles, sippy cups, toys, etc.) is free of lead. While it is laudable that Congress acted swiftly, it appears that the law will result in unintended consequences:
No one opposes the intent of a law ensuring that children are not exposed to lead and phthalates. The problem is that the broad, expensive testing requirements of this law may force small manufacturers whom parents have sought out for their natural, handcrafted products to close their shops. In its attempt to regulate large corporate entities creating mass-produced wares, the legislature appears to have overlooked small local businesses and the second hand industry. In fact U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis, who voted for the law, stated “Nobody knew we’d have these consequences.” St. Petersburg Times.
If you want to meet one of these crafters, watch this five-minute interview with Amber Dusick who makes wooden toys.
For more information, visit these links:
Handmade Toy Alliance
Full Text of HR4040, the CPSIA
For the giveaway I’m offering up a set of three hair clips I made for my shop a while ago. To get them, just leave a comment. Share how you feel about this. I will announce the winner on Thursday, January 15.
After reading Thursday’s style section, I now feel very cosmopolitan because:
I did participate in a hair cutting party
and, I sold some tidbits at my first home trunk show at my friend’s house. The little guest soaps above were party favors.
If you want to feel similarly 5th Avenuish, enter this month’s giveaway by leaving a comment telling us what your secret low/no cost indulgence is. The lucky winner will receive a bundle of the guest soaps depicted above. The giveaway will close Tuesday 12/16/08 at 23:59 Eastern Standard Time.
The soaps are made out of Aloe Vera melt and pour soap with these ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerin (kosher, of vegetable origin), Aloe Vera Gel, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soy bean protein (conditioner) and scented with Yuzu Cybilla, a citrussy, grapefruity scent.
Also, I’m having a 10% off sale on Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th at my store groundsel.etsy.com as are my fellow The {NewNew} York Street Team members.
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