lovely box-bag for holding all those crafting materials, made from the pattern from the ‘crafter’s companion‘ … another winner

Penny wrote in with this lovely letter:

Thanks for sharing my free Heart YoYo Pattern for Valentine’s Day. Some marvelous people have made and shared their creations with me! It was fascinating watching crafters in France discover the pattern and share it. Similarly, crafter’s in Denmark discovered the pattern from your publication and then proceeded to share it. It gives me a warm glow to know that others are enjoying that simple little pattern.

I hope your readers will enjoy these Free pet patterns. Most of our pets are from Rescue organizations, and I hope folks will make these designs and give some to Rescue organizations!

pet collar tutorial here and here

Renata wrote:

Hi Whipup! I’m a long-time reader of the site and this is my first time writing in. I host a blog-along group called “Poetry Monday.” In honour of National Poetry Month (April), I’m restarting the blog-along this coming Monday, 2 April. Each Monday participants post a poem of their own choosing, be it their own words of those of someone else, and briefly comment on how it inspires them. Each month there is a new them - for April the theme is Landscapes. Participants can also express poetry using photos, drawings or craft to convey the artistic/dramatic mood of the theme.

Helene sent in a link to a free pattern for a crocheted basket motif.

Kylie sent in a few fun links. JoshJakus bags and little elves on etsy who makes note pads from out of date maps.

Madeline wrote in introducing her new online store selling handspun and hand dyed yarns

Jen wrote in with a link to fascinators that she recently made - those wacky headpieces worn to the races and such! It was surprisingly easy and a lot of fun

Judi wrote: I posted a free pattern for a simple cloth doll at my website. I’d love it if you shared it with others. It is called Blume. Kind of a make-it yourself Bendi doll with funny feet.

Robyn wrote: Hi! I just wanted to share my blog ‘that silly girl’ and my etsy shop. I’m quirky and, well, silly as my blog title might suggest. The things I make are made mostly while my two kids are napping. Anyways, thanks for what you all do at whipup. It’s amazing how much talent is out there and how whipup manages to bring it all together.

Which tutorial is making you want to get crafting? Let me know because I will featuring some of the whiplash tutorials in the coming week.

A new monthly craft-along to join: The Purse Project, hosted by Woof Nanny.

The first theme is to use a tea towel.

The site has quite the collection of links to tutorials, bag blogs, etc. One inspiring example, Carry Handbags, sells bags that use vintage tea towels to good effect, like this one:

Dá o rosto oa Manifesto- give a face to our manifesto- is a project from Lonely-Made. The editor of this portuguese web is looking for a model for her mannequins.

The idea: to create a face for the mannequin: a picture, a collage, an illustraction. It´s a “call for entries” for artists, crafters or creativity people. All of them will be show on her blog and different showcases. Send your “face” here: lonelymade@gmail.com , more info here.

La editora de Lonely-Made(web de Portugal), nos lanza un desafío: crear una cara para sus maniquiés. Fotografías, ilustración, collage, todo tipo de técnica y de profesionales(o no profesionales) están invitados a participar. Así que si quieres “dá o rosto ao Manifesto” (¿alguien sabe la traducción al castellano?)puedes enviar tu propuesta aquí: lonelymade@gmail.com . Más información en esta web.

threadbanger: describing itself as “the first network for people who make their own fashion”, this quirky site includes weekly shows and a blog. Ep. 5 of Threadheads includes ideas for finding good stuff at Goodwill (op shops/Oxfam), while the associated blog entry points to worthwhile vintage sources.

Thanks for the heads-up, Kirsty/Twolimeleaves.

Have you ever considered creating your own money?

That’s what a Danish artist, Lars Kraemmer, did back in 1997. His studio was booming with dusty art, his wallet was empty, he didn’t have enough money to pay his bills and no promise of an income in sight. How to make ends meet? That became the starting point of art-money and BIAM, short for Bank of International Art-Money.

The conditions are simple: You apply to become a participating artist of BIAM, and when registered you start creating your own currency according to some general guidelines on size, conduct, etc. using whatever technique and media you usually prefer.

What you actually create with each art-money is a small piece of original artwork that represents a purchasing value equal to 27 euro / 34 US$ / 200 Danish Kroner. You can use Art-Money in shops and businesses all over the world, and when buying art from registered art money artists.

The idea maybe started as a bit of a practical joke and a critical comment on economical politics, but as it turned out this underground art project was taken quite seriously and art money became a reality. Today the art money network is rapidly growing world wide and the project is noticed with great interest by cultural institutions and the Media.

These days Lars Kraemmer, has been invited to speak as an expert at a conference on art and culture celebrating the 50th anniversary of the EU. Meanwhile there’ll be two exhibitions in Brussels: The first one is simply a “show off” representing 300 artists with one art money each from the BIAM collection, the second exhibition is by invitation only from the Danish Cultural Institute, and will represent 30 artists each with 20 art monies for show and for sale.

I’ve been part of this project for 3 years now and it has been so much fun and a challenge to develop my art and step forward. Maybe you´d like to join? Check it out at: art money and join the revolution!

Hello, my name is Hanne, I’m a new writer here, but you might recognize my designs from December and January’s “gifts and decorations” and February’s “recycled” Whip Lash…

I´m a Danish artist, crafter, teacher and blogger. I live as a single mum with my two teenage girls in the countryside south of Aarhus where I´m educated both at the Academy of Fine Arts and at the College of Education. I´m lucky to have my studio at home but I also have a part time out-of-the-house-job as a teacher at a nearby secondary school in order to keep my economy above the waterline and because I like teaching and communicating…

My art involves a broad field of mixed media materials and techniques. Especially I love recycling projects and ideas and most often I try to incorporate second-hand material in my creations. It can be everything from old postcards to bus tickets, press cuttings, extracts from photo albums, vintage fabric, etc. etc. I find that the scrapped, faded, wry and uneven pieces have invaluable significance in the proper context by simply adding personality and authenticity to my designs. Moreover it’s great fun to hunt scrap and to put it into new “settings” and create something new out of something old.

My plan for this forum is to write different articles on mixed-media, recycled fabric, redesign, arts and crafts in general and whatever I find interesting along the way. I have a lot of ideas but, please, bear with my language as you’ve probably realized way back - English is not exactly my mother tongue. Hope I’ll be able to convey the message though.

Saw this at Indie art - so if you live in Melbourne - this looks fantastic.

On the first Saturday of every second month, a group of creative girls meet at Port Melbourne’s Mars Gallery. The Creative Women’s Circle organise speakers on topics such as starting a business, creative experiences etc. The atmosphere is casual & friendly and the girls meet in the cafe space of the gallery. It also costs nothing to attend.

When: Saturday 14th April, 2007
Time: 11am - 1pm
Place: MARS Gallery Cafe Space, 418 Bay St, Port Melbourne.
RSVP essential: info@dearneherrenberg.com.au

designs by black dog - wonderful pattern and tutorial for making these japanese style zakka pouches - using either a knitted or basket base.

sunshine creations has posted a tutorial on how to do these hexagon patches.

The new cross stitch collection from Folkology features folk art patterns based on antique Hungarian needlework. They have extended their table linen pattern collection with designs suitable for doilies, and a new quick project format: the tile patterns.

Blue-dye artisan fabrics are handmade by a family workshop in the Eastern part of Hungary. This family has been producing these textiles since 1878. They use wooden motif blocks from the beginning of the 20th century, and a printing machine manufactured in 1907. The fabrics made by this family workshop are juried by the Hungarian Folk Handicrafts Commission, guaranteeing the authentic quality of the designs and manufacturing.

Blue-dyeing is a resist-dyeing method where the white cotton or linen fabric is first printed with a resist paste using wooden motif blocks or sometimes a block printing machine. The fabric is then immersed in the indigo solution. The printed areas resist the dye and come out crisp white.

Katalin has generously given Whipup readers a promo coupon valid until April 15th, use the coupon code WHIPUP5 during checkout (you will be able to apply it at Step 2 of checkout) to get $5 off any order of $20 or more (before shipping). ::folkology

Adorn Magazine is teaming up with Velcro for their first ever craft challenge. Entrants must use no-sew velcro in an interesting way to create a craft or home decor project. Winners receive up to $500, a Rowenta Iron, and editorial feature in the Fall ‘07 issue of Adorn. More details can be found at ::adorn mag. Deadline is May 1st.

If you’re a lover of knitwear please go and enjoy some of these pieces

at: website

It’s all designed and hand knitted by Gitte Lyng, a woman I have the luck to know as we both have kids at the same school., and from several times co-working at the yearly Christmas Bazaar / Spring Market at “our” school.

Gitte is a great all-over-skilled crafter but her absolutely top talent is to knit – right out of her mind, with no pattern. She knits her way through – from dresses to jackets. As she says: “It’s very simple, I start in one end and ends in the other”. And with her speed and a hang for thick sticks and thin yarns in kid mohair, silk and cotton – that means she knits at least half a sweater in a night. She combines her freestyle knitting with vintage ribbon and embellishments, and sells her unique pieces online. Check out her at wonderwho.

Miss Twiss has a tube dress/skirt tutorial and pattern available.

… for a juried collection of work from artists, makers, and designers from around the globe for the upcoming book 500 Handbags. A diverse assortment of bags will be considered—from teeny evening clutches to rugged bags designed for men—with one-of-a-kind, handmade, and/or limited edition pieces strongly preferred. A wide range of materials, techniques, and looks are desired. To be considered for inclusion, please submit high-quality transparencies, slides, or digital images with entry forms. There is no entry fee. Entries must be postmarked by May 1, 2007. ::website link

… at Mt Cooth-tha (Brisbane) - NOW! It’s on Saturday and Sunday. [thanks Jen]

Image: A Donde Vamos?, Bill Zindel, Collage on Panel

the cut + paste collage show [via drawn]

Image: Couple 1004, David Plunkert, 2007, Collage on panel with hand constructed raw steel frame

This collage show extends the tradition of collage. Limitations are few on the materials used by or subject matter addressed by collage artists today. The collages in this show are surprising and funny and inventive and provocative. Some are nearly psychedelic; some are buttoned-up and wholesome. The works of the 14 artists in Cut and Paste could hardly be more different from one another yet all have at their heart the same spirit of cut and paste.

Image: Guesthouse, Suzanne Sbarge, Mixed Media on Wood Panel (with Wood Frame)

When I graduated from graduate school my parents asked me what I wanted as a graduation gift, “More design education!” I answered. So I signed up for a week at the Maine Photographic Workshop. It was like summer camp for grown-ups wanting to learn various aspects of photography. All we did all day was take photos, develop film and print. I loved the total immersion.

When we started FunQuilts, we decided to create a similar immersive environment for quilters. One week–totally focused on quilt design. There are lots of one-week summer programs in the US so I thought I’d post information about a few I’ve heard about. Some of the classes offer housing and meals and others refer you to local inns and restaurants.

Arrowmont offers courses in basket-weaving, clay, fiber, metals, drawing, woodturning and stone carving. Penland has classes in book-making, clay, drawing, glass, iron, photography, printmaking, and wood. Sievers has classes in weaving and quiltmaking (one of which is taught by one of our students). The Maine Photographic Workshop has classes in everything from basic black and white photography to operating very expensive cameras used for making movies and even courses in lighting. There are a number of classes and travel opportunities offered by Shaw Guides.

For quilters, Empty Spool Seminars offers classes in California by well-known quiltmakers traditional and contemporary. We will be teaching this summer at Quilting in the Pines near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Quilting by the Lake in Upstate New York and at our own Design Camp in Chicago (which is almost sold out).

Perhaps readers in other countries could post information about similar classes in other countries.

Picture from Chuculeta.

The amigurimi fever is here! There are interesting webs and blogs in spanish:

- Laura made a little bear for the magazine WLC, besides she wrote a great post about how to make it.

- The chuculeta´s creations are amazing alwalys! Look this kokechi in crochet(but she have other crochet projects!).

- Revesderecho -a web from Chile- all about amigurimi things: patterns, ideas, gallery of pictures…

¡La fiebre amigurimi está aquí!¿Sólo una moda? Para serlo ya hay muchas adictas:

- Laura hizo este osito para la revista WLC, además escribío este estupendo post sobre cómo hacerlo.

- Chuculeta siempre nos sorprende con su creaciones, esta vez una kokechi en crochet(pero tienes otros proyectos).

- Revesderecho es una web chilena que contiene toda la información necesaria sobre el amigurimi.