Link, via Craft:

Nichola and Justine have just celebrated their 4th issue - 1 Year anniversary of Mixtape zine. It has gone from success to success and to celebrate they are kindly donating four packs of their first four issues (if you have the first four already - then they will send you the next four as they come out). To win a mxtape zine pack just leave a comment here about how the craft blog world has helped or inspired you to live your dream. (comments open until Friday this week).

Mix tape zine is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch it features recipes, eco tips, crafty people profiles, ethical business practices etc - you can purchase back issues here or find out more here. Find Justine here and Nichola’s blog here.

Kath: Nichola and Justine you are both based in Melbourne and met through your blogs - finding out that you just lived around the corner from each other. I love that sort of serendipity. Can you tell me a little more about how you met - what ‘attracted’ you to each other?

Nichola: We met when Justine had read my blog and realised that she lived nearby the cafe I owned with my husband and we met up for coffee. Justine moved and soon after we closed our cafe and moved to the same area only 3 streets away, talk about stalker!

I think what attracted me to Justine is that in some ways we are so similar but in many ways we are total opposites, she’s an organised ‘let’s get it done now’ kind of girl whereas I’m more of a chilled ‘Yeah sure, I’ll be done at some point, usually the last minute’ kind of girl. A little bit of chalk and cheese but we complement each other nicely, she kicks me up the butt when needed and I tell her to chill when she’s running round like a headless chicken and it all works out well. She’s pretty funny too!

Justine: We have pretty much been inseparable since we first met. Our kids get along well and I think the fact that we are completely different is the “attraction”. Nichola is an “earth mother” and I love that about her.

Kathreen: Can you tell me a little more about how you first thought up the idea of mixtape zine?

Nichola: I had been thinking for some time that I’d like to start a zine of some kind. To be honest I was thinking small scale, something handmade that I could maybe pass around to fellow crafty people like myself. I told Justine of my idea and she expressed an interest in doing it together. We discussed what we thought the zine should be like and we came up with craft, ‘green’ ideas, pop culture, music and parenting amongst others, so really the zine has quite a broad range of topics. Then it was only a matter of a few months before our first issue went up for sale.

Kathreen: What sort of research did you do - how did you decide on format etc?

Justine: We based our zine on the American indie zine “Croq”. Heather was very helpful helping us out in the early stages. My husband Simon is a graphic designer so we left the design up to him.

Kathreen: Details details: Does the zine pay for itself? How much time do you spend on getting each zine to press?

Justine: We photocopied our first issue but after that we purchased a laser jet printer. We get our supplies wholesale which is the only way we can afford to print this quality at home. We have financed every issue via pre-sales, so that we only print for the demand. We have not had to put any money in ourselves, the zine pays for itself. We are going to apply for a grant so that we can at least pay our regular contributors. We do the pagination and Simon designs it all. The minute we release an issue we start the process for the next issue, so three months to get an issue together, that’s working on it most days.

Kathreen: You have had gorgeous covers - do you take submissions or do you commission the covers?

Justine: All the artists that have done the covers have done it for love! We approach people.

Kath: You both have a really great eye for design as well as being entrepreneurs and astute business women - can you tell me a bit about your backgrounds - what did you do before?

Nichola: I’m originally from the UK and moved to Melbourne with my husband and daughter in 2004. I was a pastry chef up until my second daughter came along and now I’m a stay at home mum to three girls who keep me very busy. I took up sewing, crafting and blogging when I arrived in Melbourne and things took off from there!

Justine: I come from a sales/marketing background. I worked in the music industry for a good 10 years.

Kathreen: Can you tell me a bit about the craft movement in Australia?

Justine: You know to be honest I’m not sure about the “craft movement”. I just happen to be following my heart and this is the path it has lead me down. Once I discovered the craft blogworld in 2005 I was hooked. What a bunch of fabulous artist/crafter that merge together and inspire. I realised that there was a market for a zine and we took the plunge and have one up for offer!

Such an awesome idea. Link.

..is a boutique social enterprise.

…connects socially isolated nannas and mature-aged ladies through craft, economic participation and social networking.

…designs and manufactures unique handcrafted products for women.

…appreciates and values the skills of mature-aged women and challenges the idea that the older you get the less you have to contribute to society.

…is inter-generational, combining contemporary fresh ideas of young women and the skills and crafting abilities of older women - to create the Biddy Bags designs.

The new CRAFTzine is out, and it contains a ‘how-to’ make a bow and arrow by my husband and son. Thats my cutie pie boy featured holding his new bow. Its a great father son weekend project. CRAFTzine the latest issue - has heaps of other great stuff - so check it out online or pick up a copy.

Link, Design*Sponge.

Lovely little idea. Link, Design*Sponge.

Awesome mermaid costume for your dolly’s! I reckon you could adapt this for a little mergirl or merboy.
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Very sweet. Link, Design*Sponge.

I [Heart] Felt: 33 Eye-Popping Projects for the Inspired Knitter by Kathleen Taylor, published by Taunton (February 19, 2008).

A book about fulling, that is the felting process of knitted items. It is pitched at having a huge ‘wow’ factor, and is described as having ‘eye popping’ projects that ‘may cause gasps of disbelief’. All of this buzz had me intrigued - which is why I was slightly dissapointed. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very decent projects in here, interesting and lovely - but not sure about the hype.

This is an usually designed book - what I mean by that is that it has large retro font in the project introduction in groovy candy colours - very cool - but somehow strangely at odds with the style of the projects. Now that I have my bug bear out of the way I will discuss the instructions. And these are very clear, detailed and nicely written, the author, Kathleen has a lovely writing style that is shown off in this section, she obviously knows a lot about her topic and it shows. There are also lots of before and after photos of the felting/fulling process which I really love.

The projects might be ‘eye popping’ for their difficulty level and use of luxury yarn, such as the ‘peppermint stick’ christmas stocking knitted in peruvian wool with fair isle stitch, or the ‘grazing sheep bag’ an intarsia knit in peruvian wool, or the ‘cabled tote’ knit from alpaca/wool, or the ‘big bag’ knit from noro iro with raised rib handles in a contrasting yarn.

I asked advise from a more experienced knitter than myself, and it was as I expected, the projects would not be difficult for an experienced knitter. I guess the ‘eye popping’ comes into it when you knit a cable stitch bag and then throw it into the washing machine to fend for itself. You certainly need a little bravery to take that next step in the process.

Unfortunately I was not really inspired by many of the projects in this book. I found the colour choices off putting and the rather bright cheery studio shots (not the authors fault) terribly fake. I did really like the felted slipper - in a couple of variations rather lovely, and the child’s gingham vest and alpaca toddler earflap cap the highlights of the book.

Whip Up is now taking article and tutorial submissions.

We are looking for tutorials and submissions that fit within our feel - read our Manifesto for more information.

We are looking for thematic articles and tutorials to fit within the months themes - see monthly themes below - but also timely articles outside of these themes will be considered such as exhibition and pattern reviews, craft memes, fun, frivolous and extreme ideas, etc that cannot wait and do not fit within the theme.

Submissions now being accepted for January, February and March 2008

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April - Home (crafts for the home - for the family - practical and comfort and loving crafts)

May - Ephemeral (short lived, naturally occurring, transitory crafts)

June - Traditions (handed down through the generations, classic patterns, colors, and styles, inherited, established, or customary)

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To learn more about how to submit an article read the submission guidelines here

Two sweet illustrations to download. Print onto fabric and paper or any other medium you can think of.
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Pink Chalk Studio tells all. Link

A sweet little cover for your passport and nicely done tutorial too! Link.

Shelly Kang wrote in with this

I started the blanket project using my own leftovers, but quickly realized that I needed more and ended up getting gifts of leftovers from knitters all around the world when I posted on my blog asking for them. To thank all the people who were sharing their yarn with me, and in response to all the requests from those who were interested, I wrote up a tutorial, also on my blog. Now there are knitters all around the world working on or having finished blankets of their own. On Ravelry there are 147 projects listed!

Links to tutorials: gauge swatch and first block of new blankie : connecting the pieces : weaving in the ends : i-cord border

The blankie has been a huge part of my life these last 20 months. It has led me to many new friends, most far, far away in the computer, but a few real, in-person friends. It has been a constant companion, growing in my lap. It has been something to photograph and write about, to dream with. And here it is all grown up.

Great idea. Link, via.

Sloane Crosley - new book - I Was Told There’d Be Cake (published by Riverhead Trade (April 1, 2008) - is - according one reviewer - a collection of hilariously uncomfortable personal essays. Sloane has created three dioramas - made from plexi glass - to visually illustrate 3 of the essays from her book - the essays: “Sign Language for Infields,” “Smell This,” and “The Pony Problem.” These exquisite, intimate and detailed dioramas can been seen on her website or to find out more about the stories behind them go to her flickr page]

Sloane explains her process of making the dioramas

good dioramas involve a lot of planning. And a lot of plans that don’t work out. But the best part is by far the unexpected aspects, which often arise from problems that need to be solved. Not to mention the whole “life is in the details” thing. Which is kind of where funny essays come from. The details of life are blown up under a microscope until you realize that it’s the daily oddities of our existence that make it what it is. And these dioramas are meant to do that to the extreme.

An in-depth how-to, awesome detail. Link. Further down the same post a very sweet framed crochet doily and flower display.

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Beautiful hand braided scarf tutorial, stunning. Link.

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