Am loving the new additions to the whipup flickr group – join and add your crafty photos to the pool.
bitty birdie by beeper babe
patchwork lace scarf by mairuru_siesta
treehouse by melissastanley727
Am writing this post all garlicky from making aioli (it didn’t work out but am going to try just one more time – it looks ridiculously simple but there is a trick to it I have yet to figure out). Have also been working on a quilt this week (another project that is causing me grief), but in good news I made some delicious butterfly cream cakes (check out the recipe over here) and have made 2 pavlovas this week – oh such gorgeous summery fare (we like ours topped with cream, raspberries and passionfruit).
FIND OUT HOW to get your 2010 whipup crafty collectible calendar here .
FIND OUT HOW to advertise with whipup – before rates go up for the silly season - for the next 10 days I am discounting all ad slots by 10% – use this coupon code when booking your ad pre-holidaysxweEBn valid until 18 November.
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Find out more about our fantastic Whipup 2010 calendar
over the next couple of weeks we are going to find out a little more about the wonderful makers featured in the 2010 whipup calendar – Our May feature artist is Amy Bethune.
Amy Bethune from the B-line – Amy also runs an etsy store, she lives in Michigan.
Main craft of choice: jewelry design
Craft hero: Martha Stewart–I know she has an empire of folks that help, but she comes up with some amazing things.
Fave web site: many! but the pioneer woman is an inspiration.
Fave crafty materials supplier: rio grande
I asked all our participants to answer a few questions about their creative process:
1. When did you start making/crafting, and who or what inspired that first creative burst?
I’ve always loved to make things, but I got more serious about making jewelry about a year and a half ago. I was actually going through a rough time and being creative helped to lift my spirits. I got hooked on beading first, and then started working with polymer clay when I found I had ideas for “beads” that weren’t available.
2. What would you say was that light-bulb moment when you discovered your ’style’ and really hit your making stride?
I’d say most people are drawn to and recognize my work through my corsage collection, the line that began from my work with polymer clay. It took me just a few months (after opening the b-line on etsy) to make those designs a regular part of my shop.
3. Why do you make – what do you get out of it?
I find it therapeutic to create. It calms my mind. And it gives me great joy to know that other people enjoy wearing my designs.
All images courtesy Amy Bethune
Find out more about how to get your hands on a copy of the 2010 whipup calendar here.
For the next 10 days I am discounting all ad slots by 10% – use this coupon code when booking your ad pre-holidaysxweEBn valid until 18 November.
Leading up to the holidays ad rates have increased – up to now they have been super duper cheap cheap cheap – while I have been trialling the new system (have you tried out the new system yet – just click on the ‘advertise here’ in the sidebar to give it a test run) (if you want to use this on your website to run ads I use igloohq.com)
While I have increased prices in the main ad section – I have also added a new section (lower sidebar) just for indie businesses – the smaller ad sizes will only be available in this slot.
over the next couple of weeks we are going to find out a little more about the wonderful makers featured in the 2010 whipup calendar – Our June feature artist is Eva Monleón.
Eva Monleón from Misakomimoko also has an etsy shop where you purchase the cutest things, she lives in Barcelona.
Main craft of choice: Stuffies / handcrafted dolls
Craft hero: Something’s Hiding in Here, Lili Scratchy, Ann Wood, Stephanie Congdon Barnes, Le train Fantôme, Emily Martin…
Fave web site: my fave sites lately are fine little day, mieke willems + Joyville
Fave crafty materials supplier: my local flea market, Els encants vells in Barcelona
I asked all our participants to answer a few questions about their creative process:
1. When did you start making/crafting, and who or what inspired that first creative burst?
I learned sewing and embroidering at primary school, later I was very influenced by Annette Messager, Tracy Emin, Georgina Starr, Niky de Saint Phalle, Dubuffet (and Art brut)… while studying Fine Arts, so I mostly crafted, made installation and painted/sewn soft sculptures. Then I worked for a long time as a multimedia and graphic designer and after of ten years working with computers I realized that I needed something else. I joined an amigurumi workshop in a lovely gallery shop called Duduà and since then I haven’t stopped making crafts.
2. What would you say was that light-bulb moment when you discovered your ’style’ and really hit your making stride?
The moment when I finished my first little doll was so exciting… she made me feel very special and I thought that maybe these dolls could make other people feel the same way, so I started doing different little dolls to see what happened.
3. Why do you make – what do you get out of it?
It makes me feel really happy, making them it’s a kind of childish freedom and joy. When I imagine how a car doll, or a little dog, a bird, a table or a carrot doll would look like, I have to began to draw and sew it and then finish it to see how it will turn out. I love playing and allowing myself to be swept away by the process of making them just to feel this kind of peace and make people smile.
All images courtesy Eva Monleón
Find out more about how to get your hands on a copy of the 2010 whipup calendar here.
A group of lovely crafters have collaborated and published their own ebook Crafty Tree Trimmings, a collection of 6 ornament tutorials, covering a range of crafts (felt, sewing, crochet, paper + beading). They are donating 15% from each sale to Project Linus an organisation that provides handmade blankets/quilts for the needy.
The ebook is pretty lovely – I was lucky enough to be sent a preview – its well laid out, the instructions are clear, the photographs of the steps are plentiful and make the projects very easy to follow and there are full size templates for you to print out and use straight away.
Linda Permann shows how to crochet a very pretty flower ornament, Betz White shows how to make a gingerbread house from felt – it is then handsewn and stuffed with polyfil, Susan Beal has a button and plastic canvas sparkly ornament, Kayte Terry sews scraps of pretty fabric to make vintage treasure ornaments, Diane Gilleland shows us how to make a delicate tree ornament that allows light to shine through and Patricia Zapata makes a 3d ornament from paper. Check out the ebook here in time for the holidays.
Carefree Clothes for Girls: 20 Patterns for Outdoor Frocks, Playdate Dresses, and More (Make Good: Crafts + Life)
Felting for Baby: 25 Warm and Woolly Projects for the Little Ones in Your Life (Make Good: Crafts + Life)
The latest additions in the make good series (Japanese craft books published in English by Trumpeter) are 2 books for parents or those who love to make things for children.
Felting for baby has instructions and patterns to make lovely tiny felted shoes, felted teddy bears, hand puppets and other cute accessories with lots of adorable little details. The best thing really about this book is the exquisite detailed photos of the felting process, and includes both wet and needle felting techniques. A treasure of a book.
Carefree clothes for girls is filled with adorable romantic and rustic clothing for active little girls. Some outfits are more practical than others – depends on how many trees your little girl likes to climb. However these outfits are so gorgeous with some beautiful detailing – such as raw edges, buttons and hand stitching, antique lace and found fabrics, layers of fabric, the use of natural raw unbleached linens and simple cottons. The designs are not difficult, a-line styles, ruffled skirts, square front bodices, and wrap-over tunics. This is such a sweet, sentimental, romantic book of designs for little girls – and mothers who love to dress up their little girls. [You can download full size patterns of the designs from Make Good Crafts Website + download a couple of sample projects.]
over the next couple of weeks we are going to find out a little more about the wonderful makers featured in the 2010 whipup calendar – Our August feature artist is Maya Donenfeld from Maya*Made.
Maya Donenfeld’s website is maya*made – her etsy online store is found here, and she lives in upstate NY, USA.
Main craft of choice: printing, but sewing is a super close second
Craft hero: Without hesitation, grandfather. When he was younger he had the ability to make anything he found interesting or necessary. Although all of his crafts had a utilitarian bent, all were made with such precision and beauty.
Fave web site (whipup of course but do you have another fave?): There are so many good ones out there. I have favorites for different topics, but if I had just one to choose from it might be Amy Karol’s Angry Chicken. Her blog is filled with all the things I love: sewing, crafting, parenting, and fun little bits of this and that. There are many wonderful blogs that cover these topics, but her dry wit and sense of humor always catch me off guard. I love that.
Fave crafty materials supplier: I find a lot of supplies at thrift stores and antique shops and, of course, Etsy. My favorite place to pick up recycled burlap is at my local coffee roasters.
I asked all our participants to answer a few questions about their creative process:
1. When did you start making/crafting, and who or what inspired that first creative burst?
My family is EXTREMELY creative. My mother has always inspired me with her own work and encouraged me with mine. In fact, she made me a carpenter’s workbench from salvaged materials when I was around 5. It was in my bedroom fully stocked with supplies at all times.Talk about setting the stage for exploration. I also remember my very first sewing book… from that era. Oh, I’d love to get my hands on it for my kids!
2. What would you say was that light-bulb moment when you discovered your ’style’ and really hit your making stride?
My style has been fairly consistent (with a few deviations) for years. I’m drawn to natural color palettes and always inspired by nature. I didn’t hit my stride, though, until I opened my etsy shop in November 08. Making things on a broader scale has taught me so much.
3. Why do you make – what do you get out of it?
It feeds my need to be resourceful in a big way. On a deeper level, I seem to have this insatiable appetite for learning new skills. Problem solving and mastering something new just make me really happy. Creating beauty out of ordinary materials is exhilarating.
Find out more about how to get your hands on a copy of the 2010 whipup calendar here.
Embroidered Effects: Projects and Patterns to Inspire Your Stitching (Sublime Stitching)
This is not just a book with groovy embroidery designs and lots of transfers to help you re-create the groovy designs, it is in fact an extremely comprehensive book on embroidery for beginners.
Jenny really goes into such incredible detail with her explanations of techniques and tools and materials, it is obvious she loves her craft and has thought deeply about how to explain it those who may be not quite sure how to get started. Along with chapters on the basics (fabrics to use, threads to use, tools to use) there is a fantastic stitch dictionary with excellent clear illustrations and instructions – showing where the needle goes in and comes out, where you are supposed to hold the thread and which direction you should be heading. Often a second technique for doing the one stitch is described – I love that Jenny is not precious about how you get it done and she allows for different styles of stitching in her instructions.
There is a whole section on the different patterns/designs – with transfers in the back to help you get just the right look – the designs are shown stitched onto outfits, aprons, shirts or as framed pieces, pillows, tablecloths, even shower curtains, but alas no doilies.
With Jenny’s usual fun and slightly subversive designs you will find tattoo embroidery for you sleeve shirt, colourful day of the dead skulls for your summer skirt, cute little bluebirds for the fronts of your jeans, adorable framed child’s art, embroidered text and more.
For more of a taster – check out these free online tutes from the book
Great handmade gift idea for guys + it’s eco-friendly – made from recycled clothing + we think it pretty cool – cushion with pocket for holding onto your tv remote control – tute here.
