Thanks Carrie to the link for the 2009 International Year of Natural Fibres.
The main goal of the International Year of Natural Fibres is to raise the profile of these fibres and to emphasise their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers.
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The Boy Magician: 156 Amazing Tricks & Sleights of Hand (Popular Mechanics)
Another fantastic small book packed with tricks, bring vintage boyhood to modern kids. Beautifully written and illustrated, this book has some fantastic tricks for beginner magicians (with more advanced tricks too), including illusions, party tricks and science based tricks.
The section on the science of magic is sure to entrance budding scientists: magic candles, burning sugar tricks, magic numbers, paper folding tricks, secret writing … there is a section on coin tricks, egg tricks, handkerchief tricks and too many more.
I really love all the books in the popular mechanics series and can’t wait for the The Girl Mechanic
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Starting a craft blog can be a fun but also daunting prospect. If you are a blog lurker and eager to start your own blog but not quite sure what to write or if you already have a craft blog and would like to build your audience and participate more fully in the craft blog community – then tune in over the coming weeks for tips and ideas on how to build a better craft blog.
A well laid out and attractive blog is essential if you want your audience to stick around for any length of time. Here are a few design tips to think about when setting up your blog. Don’t worry html is not essential. Most blog hosting sites such as blogger and wordpress and typepad offer standard templates which can adjusted to your liking or used out of the box.
Think about a good combination of functionality and style when designing your blog/website.
1. Colour (color): Thinking about colour – font colour, background colour, heading/header colours are very important – colour not only is the first impression your blog gives but it is important for readability.
Colour resources: suggested colour themes : colour palettes : colour schemes :
2. Font: Make reading your blog easy – choose easy on the eye colours – not too light – not too bright – and think about the font type – something simple is best – not too big not too small not too fancy. You might want to consider a different font for headings – and also spacing between lines and different fonts for links to help them stand out a bit more.
Whipup has recently updated our font – using a slightly darker grey for the main font, slightly increasing the width between lines – and making the link font brighter and larger. All of this means its easier for readers to navigate the page.
Font for web resources: best font for web article : font explanations for the web :
3. Layout: Again making your site easy for readers to navigate should be your main aim.
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thank you Marjorie for this super cute link to the world famous crochet museum located in Joshua Tree, California.
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Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching wrote to me recently, about her discovery about the new indie stitching site Urban Threads. Jenny says that Urban threads’ has disingenuously positioned itself as a small “indie” operation, that it is actually an “indie” front for a bigger, machine/digitized embroidery stock art company, Embroidery Library Inc. And says that “Urban Threads” appears to be their attempt to enter the “indie” market with hand embroidery, complete with a supposed “indie crafter” for a figurehead.
Jenny is indignant that Urban threads appears to be copying her business model and even some of her designs. Jenny feels these actions are willfully deceptive and that Niamh O’Connor, appears not to have any history as a crafter, or needleworker. Furthermore there are significant errors on technique for hand embroidery in her instructions , and she appears to rely heavily on [Jenny's] text and instructions, which are unique explanations of embroidery technique based on years of research and personal experience as a passionate embroiderer.
Jenny is making this information public as she believes that credibility and authenticity are the cornerstones of the DIY craft movement, both for independent business owners and the customers who support them.
If you wish to know more about this matter please email Jenny directly jennygirlATsublimestitching.com or contact her through her website sublime stitching.
Read urban threads response to Jenny Hart and Embroidery designs open letter to Jenny here.
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It Girl Knits: 30 Fresh Styles for the Young and Fabulous
Knitting designs all designed by a 16 year old knitting designer, Phoenix Bess, for her peers. The designs are fresh and sweet without being cloying or suggestive.
The designs are perfect for beginner knitters, many are knitted in the round with minimal purling and seaming. The designs are clean and unfussy and comfortable – and suitable to most ages – flirty knee length skirts and lounge pants, while other designs are aimed specifically at the younger age group such as fitted empire dresses and lacy camisole.
While this talented young designer has designed for her peers, there is nothing in this book that would not be suitable for my peers!
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I love this tutorial on how to make leaf and flower prints using a hammer and paper. [via craftershock]
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