iKnitQuiltSew

2011-11-30T09:14:00.001-07:00

HO HO HO!

10% Off Coupon!

Here's your chance to take 10% off every item in my shop, just in time for Christmas! It would be my pleasure to gift wrap/ship that special item to someone on your list.

Just type in CyberSale2011 at checkout - you'll see the text 'click here to insert coupon code' in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Happy shopping from iKnitQuiltSew!

2011-11-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

SHARE THE LOVE!

VINTAGE TAGS FOR DAYS

This week's featured artisan is Debbie LaRue of Vintage Tags for Days. She creates the most wonderful, vintage-style tags to give your gifts a unique look. You can find these delightful items on:

Etsy

Blog

2011-11-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

LABELING - A NIGHTMARE? A NECESSARY EVIL? A WAY TO SHOW PRIDE IN YOUR WORK? ALL OF THESE!

If you work with fiber, you're well aware of the required labeling issues. This one thing has made many people throw up their hands and mutter, "I give up."

As a guest writer on the Handmade Artists' Forum Blog, I wrote an article on what's required on labeling and how to manufacture your own labels without too much fuss. The entire article can be seen here . Take a peek... you just might decide that labels aren't such a hassle after all!

2011-11-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Share the Love!

Featued Artisan

Jardin de Lilian

This weeks featured artisan is Kalyene Sue Bacon - Jardin de Lillian. Truly unique jewelry designs in this shop! You can find Jardin de Lillian on:

Blog

Etsy

Facebook

2011-11-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

Share the Love Featured Artist

FINDING CHARM

This is the perfect name for this shop. Not only is it charming, but you can purchase charms (or other delightful baubles!) that exude charm. Sarah is a wonderful person and a tireless promoter of handmade artisans. Let's all give some of that "love" back! You can find Finding Charm in all of these places:

Etsy
Blog
Facebook

Visit Sarah's sites soon and often - you'll be so glad you did!

2011-11-02T08:49:00.000-06:00

Just in Case You Missed This....

We are all always wondering what else we can do to promote our listings, shops, ourselves. If you haven't checked out Project Wonderful yet, you need to do so! Project Wonderful is an advertising co-op, of sorts. You can search for the types of sites you'd like to advertise with by category, size, hits, etc. You choose how much you want to spend per day. This is not a pay-per-click deal. You can cancel adds if they're under-performing and try something else.

You do have to deposit some money with them to get started (minimum of $5.00). The site generates good data, letting you know what you've spent on each ad, how many visitors have seen it, how many clicks you got, and what those clicks cost you. You can advertise lots of places for 0¢ (not a typo!), though those are not the sites with thousands of visitors a day!

Visit Project Wonderful soon, and start spreading the word about your unique micro-brand in new places!

2011-10-25T12:23:00.000-06:00

Does This Drive You Nuts?

Show of hands... how many of you have ever sat in the operating room waiting room waiting nervously for someone you know and love to come out of surgery? All of you, right? And how many of you got more and more anxious when the time the doctor said it would take comes and goes with no word on the patient? Again, nearly everyone!

Yesterday, my son had surgery, which we were told would take 1.5 to 2 hours. They took him in a 2 PM yesterday afternoon. At 5:45, we were a bit panicky. The doctor finally came out at 6:30 to tell us that everything went fine.

I don't know why they do this to us. If it's going to take 4 hours, please tell us 4 hours! I just think it's cruel to leave family members/friends hanging for that extra time, wondering "What's wrong?"

2011-10-23T09:12:00.000-06:00

Artists With An Amazing Touch

JEWELRY BY NALA

If you're looking for some adornments that are incredibly priced, with wonderful attention to details, you really need to visit Jewelry by Nala. I actually own the dangley red flower earrings shown to the left and they are stunning! You can find Nala in all of these places:

Etsy

Jewelry by Nala Blog

Twitter

2011-10-12T09:05:00.027-06:00

Product Review: FROG TAPE

I'm sure you've seenthe advertising for this new product which claims to give you a 'sharp line everytime' when painting. In revamping our littlerental house, we needed to paint the ceilings, but not the wood paneling, and decidedto give it a try.

We chose the multi-surfaceproduct. It comes in a plastic tub container,unlike regular masking tape which is usually shrink wrapped. The cost per roll was just short of $1 more thanmasking tape.

Application was easyand quick; it's good and tacky, didn't tangle and stayed put. It was a bit tougher to tear than ordinary maskingtape (it seems thicker to us than regular masking tape), but that didn't presentany problems. We went back over the tapeedges to assure they were all down flat on the surface we didn't want painted, too,although I don't think that was necessary.

We painted with latex,semi-gloss paint during cooler, but not cold, weather. We left the tape on the walls for two full daysafter we painted just to make sure the paint was dry.

The tape came off easily- sort of. It seemed to have a tendency totear mid-strip (we guess it just stuck better in some places than in others). This was more of an annoyance than a problem;it was reasonably simple to scratch the torn edge free and resume removal of thetape.

And here's the bigquestion... did it give us a straight lineevery time; was it worth the extra cost over regular masking tape? Our experience was that it was no better thantraditional masking tape. Yes, we had straightedges, but they were no straighter than they would have been with traditional maskingtape. Up close, we have the same amount ofpaint bleed we've always had - from two or more feet away, it looks great.

Watching the videoson the Frog Tape website (http://www.frogtape.com/Products.aspx),you'll notice that the demonstrations of their product are all done on flat surfaces. We masked molding around a ceiling that has acurved face, and perhaps this makes a difference.

In our opinion, FrogTape did what it was supposed to do but was not worth the extra cost.

2011-09-21T09:39:00.001-06:00

MY APOLOGIES...

I have folded this quilt up and put it aside... for now. Decades ago, I made a resolution that I could not start a new project until the current one is finished. I've stuck to that religiously until now.

You see, my life has become complicated. I am one of the lucky ones who still has an 8-5 job. The first week in August, people moved out of our 2 bedroom/1 bath rental home, and it was a disaster. They didn't vandalize the place; they just never cleaned, never bothered to mention that there was a drip or a leak - they just didn't care. About half of the place needed to be gutted clear down to the studs/floor joists. Water is nasty when it's left out of control. The goal was to have a 'for sale' sign on it before we needed to make the payment in October... it's going to be close.

So for the past month and a half, our routine has been work our day jobs, work on the house until 9 PM or so, consume something, stumble through a shower, sleep, repeat. On weekends, the day job is replaced by those additional hours being spent at the house.

My very first "road trip" arts show is October 8-9. There are things I need for this show I don't have. The light is on at the end of the rental home repair/remodel, tunnel but there's still lots to do. I have a custom quilt order due to be delivered no later than October 30. I can't remember when I wasn't able to organize my time to accomplish everything on my list. I guess you're never too old for a 'first!'

For those of you following the progress of this quilt, I sincerely apologize for interrupting your journey. I will get back to it, and I will complete the series... I PROMISE!!!!!

2011-09-05T14:28:00.000-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Like the Energizer Bunny, Embroidery Keeps Going and Going and Going...

I have been so incredibly busy the last couple of weeks that I've had no more than a few minutes to work on the quilt. But today, we both took the morning off. My husband is out 'paint-balling,' and I have spent four hours on the quilt. So I haven't forgotten or given up... to do it right, it takes a long time. And what's the point of doing it if you don't do it right?

2011-08-21T07:58:00.000-06:00

Are You a "Handmade Artist?"

There are lots of you (us) out there! If you are part of this group, here's something that might interest you!

The Handmade Artists Shop (HAS) is giving away a free shop for life! You didn't read that wrong and it's not a typo!!! All you have to do is blog about the Handmade Artists Shop to enter. If you attach/post their badge on your blog, you get two entries into the contest.

"But it's small," you say. "Don't the bigger sites like Etsy and Artfire get more traffic?" You're right it is small, but growing every day. And you're right about the traffic too; Etsy and Artfire do get more traffic. The real question is where will YOU get more traffic? From personal experience, it's no contest... according to Google Analytics, on a bad day, my shop on HAS gets at least five times the views my shop on Etsy did/does. In fact, I'm allowing my Etsy shop to dwindle away - I love the views I'm getting, the no-listing fees, the no-commission fees on sales (yes, I've had sales on HAS!), and the personal support and attention I receive on HAS. Besides, aren't you tired of competing with mass merchandisers, importers of misrepresented goods, and hundreds (maybe thousands) of other artists offering items in the same categories you are?

Ready to enter the contest for a free shop for life on HAS? Here's the link: Free Shop for Life Blogging Contest

Good luck!

2011-08-20T07:48:00.000-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Embroidery Progress Report

"Progress" is a positive word, but it's slow going for sure!

2011-08-13T11:16:00.000-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Embroidery Update

I have already learned that there are a boatload of stitches in a palm frond!

2011-08-07T09:53:00.001-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Part 6 - Embroidery

(One down - Eleven to go!)

Well, that was fun! Seriously! And I learned something in the process... five fronds is enough - this palm has six. But I like it a lot and it's staying exactly the way it is!

This will be the largest set of fronds as well, since it's the closest to the front. I'm using two different greens and four strands of embroidery floss. Although my camera doesn't see it very well, it seems the fronds have a shimmery quality in person.

This quilt now has a name. Many times, the title of a quilt is there before it starts; other times, I title it on completion. But most of the time, for me anyway, the name materializes during the creation process, as this one did. This one is now officially In My Dreams.

The embroidery is going to take a while, but I will keep you posted with progress updates and pictures.

2011-08-06T11:14:00.001-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Part 5

I have been SO BUSY! Between my 8-5 day job, chairing a show, doing a show, and shipping orders (hooray!), I haven't had a block of time to work on this quilt. I walk past it sadly, wanting to proceed, knowing full well that it's not in the cards. So all this week, I planned to spend Saturday with the quilt, and here we are!

I cut out a bunch of trees a few days ago - and I do mean a bunch. They were big in the foreground tapering to really, really small in the mountain. This did give the quilt a lot of depth. It sat on my work table for days this way and the more I looked at it, the more I knew it wouldn't work. The tiny slivers of material across the base of the mountain were far too small to appliqué... they'd disappear under the thread. So, I thought, I'll just zig-zag those trees in. But ultimately, I didn't like that idea any better because some of the trees would be fabric trunks and others would be zig-zag stitch trunks - where's the dividing line?

So this morning, I opted for less depth - still some, but not nearly as much. Before I cut these tree trunks out, I ironed a glue backing on a section of material so that the entire tree trunk would be glued. This made it possible to use a narrower appliqué and not have to worry about anything fraying. I liked the way the trees will be more against the mountain, too. With the depth-trees, the mountain was quite an extensive piece of the same color, which bothered me.

So now that I was happy, I peeled all of the paper backing off the trees and ironed them in place. My original plan was to appliqué the trees with brown thread. But when it came time to do it, I noticed this deep sage thread in my rack. Looking at both on the quilt, I preferred the sage. Question... do I have enough of it; answer... I think so!

And I did! This is always cause for celebration!!! In this picture, the quilt has been ironed and sized. Sewing machines were designed to sew in straight lines, and I do those only occasionally. The trick with appliqué - and it's taken me perhaps years to get to this point - is not to twist the material through a curve. You have to turn the fabric so it continues to lay flat. This one laid virtually flat when I got done with the trees, so I'm finally getting the hang of this!

At this point, I spent the better part of an hour cleaning up my work room. No more need of that pile of materials, so it got sorted, folded and put away. Done with the Heat-n-Bond, so it and all the usable scraps got re-rolled, re-packed and put away, too. Not going to be cutting anything else, so the cutting mat, ruler and rotary cutter got hung on their place on the wall.

With the quilt on my nice, clean work table, out comes the chalk! I love using my chalk pencil on a quilt. If I goof or I don't like it, you just brush it away and start again. I drew in all of the centers of the palm fronds, stood back and nodded! Out came the embroidery hoop, the correct needles, the greens I'll be using and the pinch scissors. I'm sure you can guess what the next installment of this journal will be!

2011-07-25T15:27:00.000-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Part 4 - Appliqué and the Beginning of the Details

I have all the sand and shoreline appliquéd down, so now it's time to add the mountain. All the edges get glued in place. I cut out one continuous piece of bonding agent to do this. Then once the appliqué is done, I trimmed the excess off so that's it's the same width as the rest of the quilt.

When I appliquéd it, I tapered it into the ocean... I like the way the sun is just a bit behind the beach and the mountain is running down into the sea.

Now that all the background elements are in place, it's time to add the foreground details. I want to start with the grass shack on the beach. In the drawing, it's not obscured by any palm trees, and I like that. So I need to know where it is before I start adding trees.

First, I drew a rough picture of the shack to get the size right; actually I drew several! Once I was happy, I cut the fabric to build the shack. I trimmed it and refined it several times - notice all the cut away pieces! The fabric is very directional, as are the sides and roof of the shack. The finished building is actually several pieces of the same material.

Then I appliquéd it in place. I did the door first with brown thread since I wanted the bottom of the door caught in the green of the shack. I used a narrower stitch to bring up the details of the building (the corner). I used a variable width zig-zag stitch to make the thatched effect on the edge of the roof.

It looks pretty nice now, but it will be even better with the palm trees in! The original drawing has a whole bunch of trees going clear into the distance. I need some thought time to decide exactly how I'm going to accomplish this! The next installment will be trees!

2011-07-20T16:02:00.001-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Part 3 Continued - Building the Face

So now that the quilt is the correct size, it's time to put interfacing on the entire back. This stabilizes the quilt and keeps it from stretching while being appliquéd. I use a lightweight iron-on interfacing which is just perfect for this application.

Once the interfacing is done, the rest of the background pieces get cut and laid out. In this case, it's just a matter of the mountain. I laid the fabric on the face of the quilt and drew an outline with my chalk pencil, then I cut it out. All of the raw edges are now glued down on these main background pieces.

Next step - appliqué!

2011-07-13T21:07:00.006-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Part 3 - Building the Face of the Quilt

So, now it's time to start building the face of the quilt. Sometimes, I'll use a piece of foundation material and applique everything to it. But this time, the background piece are so large, that I'm going to build the face without a foundation. The first step is to sew the 'water' to the 'sky' forming the horizon. Happily, the horizon is typically a straight line of sorts so this works out well.

But looking at it, I decided that I want the setting sun sewn into that horizon seam. So I ripped out a space in the seam, placed the 'sun' in it and resewed the seam. Perfect! Now it's time to applique the edges of the sun to the sky. Typically, you fold under the raw edges of material to be appliqued. But with the numerous curves in my quilts, it's bulky and impractical.

I glue all raw edges to be appliqued using Heat-n-Bond. It comes in a big sheet rolled up. You iron it on, let it cool, remove the paper backing, then iron it in place. This not only glues the raw edges so they're less likely to fray; it also replaces pinning and basting.

I don't glue the entire piece. Of all the good things about this product, when set, it's pretty dense and very hard to hand quilt through. So I cut small strips and shape them to the edge of the piece I want to stabilize. The picture at the left shows the Heat-n-Bond ironed the first time. The paper backing is still on it. Time to remove the paper, iron it in place and applique it down.

I cannot believe that I did this! I've got this beautiful, curved applique on the front and the entire back of the piece is a mess! The fabric was folded under when I did the applique. Time to rip it out and do it over. As I said earlier, if there was no frustration in a quilt, I would feel as though I failed......

Time to put some shoreline in. Looking at this, it's a little plain, I think. Plus, it's not quite as wide as the water. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....

So I added another layer of different 'sand' and cut out the bay. The edges will be glued and appliqued later.

Every edge gets hand-basted in place, with whatever color thread - the worse the match the better for me as I'm going to pull it in just a little while. Basting all the layers down makes all these pieces a single, flimsy at this point, piece. Once all the edges are basted, I can attach interfacing to the back and stabilize the entire thing.

Now that all the edges are basted, I can show you all the layers of material. They actually could stay where they are - they would get quilted in place. But leaving this excess yardage in a quilt is a bad idea for a couple of reasons. First, it makes the quilt uneven and bulky. Second, it's such a waste of material! All these scraps will get used somewhere, someday in another quilt, or a doll outfit, or in bean bags!

The first thing I cut away was the piece of the sky that ended up behind the water and beach. It's a large piece that I'm sure to find a use for. But as soon as I did this, a thought occurred to me... I never did measure the width of the sky to begin with. All of the other pieces conform to whatever that width is. After measuring the sky, I measured the back. At it's current width, the quilt face will be 4 inches wider than the material I have for the back. Damn! To just cut the edges down will throw the whole thing out of proportion. I could piece the back, but on a quilt this size that's not what I do. The only way to fix this is to take it apart and start over. It must be time to go fishing. Time spent: 4+ hours.

2011-07-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

Polymer Clay Chocolate Cake by Haffina

WIN A PRIZE FOR HAVING FUN!

HAF (the Handmade Artists' Forum) has done it again! They dreamed up a contest where all of the entries had to have something to do with food. You won't believe what people came up with!!!

Voting is open now and everyone who votes and leaves a comment is eligible to win a prize! So go to the Iron Chef Challenge, drool over all the goodies, and vote!

2011-07-09T11:39:00.000-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Part 2 - Shopping Complete!

Close up of the 'sky' fabric

Before the shopping began, it was time to determine what the finished size of this quilt would be. So I measured the 'sky,' and worked from there. I decided on 40 inches of sky, plus one inch of border, two inches of frame and binding - the quilt will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 43 inches wide finished. I'm seeing this as a rectangle, so I'll shoot for 36 inches tall. From there, I made a list of how much yardage I need for the frame/back (the largest piece of fabric I'll need), and rough measurements on all the detail materials.

All the fabrics laid out


Close up of the sands, palm tree trunks, hut and palm frond floss

After almost two hours in the fabric store, this is what I ended up with. The material in the mountain will also be the frame and the back. I've added fabrics I already owned that seemed to be 'sand,' and a mottled bright orange/yellow I had for the sun. I rarely buy thread on this shopping trip as I have a large collection. It's a matter of getting the fabric home and then seeing what's currently in inventory that will work. It seldom happens that I have every color I'll need, but this is one of those happy occasions!

Now everything goes through a complete laundry cycle (wash and dry). I do this to remove any non-set dyes and to make sure that something won't shrink after the quilt is assembled. All of these fabrics are 100% cotton. Once the laundry is done, then the fun begins!

2011-07-07T09:32:00.001-06:00

ANATOMY OF A QUILT

Part 1

Three Peaks quilt - completed in June 2011

When I finished my most recent quilt (Three Peaks, shown to the left), and posted pictures of it on The Handmade Artists' Forum, one of the people who responded suggested that I write an article on my blog on how a quilt goes together. "I wonder how many people realize how much work goes into one!" she wrote.

I've been thinking about this idea for a while now. Certainly, I could write, "first you do this, then this, then that," etc., but how boring that would be! I decided that the best way to accomplish this would be to journal a quilt from start to finish, complete with pictures, notes and frustration... yes - it seems that every quilt I make comes complete with frustration. If there isn't at least one time during the process that I am tempted to throw the whole thing in the trash and start over, I would think I had failed!

Each quilt starts with an idea. For perhaps a year, I've had a picture in my head of a quilt... a lonely beach and a blazing tropical sunset. I can literally see the quilt. There are two problems to overcome once the idea is there; I need to be able to create a rough sketch of the mental image, and, I need to be able to find appropriate materials. Depending on which I think will be more difficult determines the order in which these two things are attempted/accomplished.

For this particular quilt, I knew from the beginning that the sky was going to be an issue, so I have been searching for months for a piece of yardage that looks like a tropical sunset. I finally found it just last week.

Now that I own the sky, I need to have a sketch to work from so that I can determine and collect the other materials which will be used. I will be the first to admit that my drawings are horrid and rarely resemble the finished quilt. But it's really strange... if I can sort-of draw it, I can quilt it.

This drawing is the sixth! It took me that many tries to get something I believe I can work from. Looking at the pencil sketch, I can build a shopping list. I need something dark and warm for the Diamond-Head-looking mountain; I need water and sand, I need palm tree trunks and thatched hut. I think I already own the sun. The more I look at it, the more I am certain that the palm fronds will be embroidered; so will the sun reflections in the water and the rays in the sky. The fabric will be selected first, then the embroidery floss. I like to frame my quilts with a border and the binding. Typically, the border and the back are the same material. I have no clue what that will be at this point.

So the next step is finding the materials. I will write again once I have accomplished that!

2011-06-06T12:24:00.000-06:00

Amazing! Artists With a Special Touch!

JEWELRY GEEK

This is just the best logo! Kristin is a Navy wife and mother of a wonderful son, and from the playful nature of her logo, an all around fun person! She's been a crafter for many years and creates some heavenly jewelry. For example...

Don't you just love these earrings!? I really like the way they dangle in this offset line. These are Czech Crystal beads on copper findings. It's a stunning color combination - the blue and orange - too. Kristen's 'art-deco' photography is wonderful too. This item can be found in her shop on Etsy.

You can learn more about Kristin on her blog and read her wonderful write-ups on other artists and her delightful profile. Have fun!

2011-05-29T12:03:00.000-06:00

Amazing! Artists With a Special Touch!

RASMUSSEN GEMS & JEWELRY

I find it so fascinating when you immediately know what someone does, just from a glance. It was no secret to me when I reached Rasmussen Gems & Jewelry on Artfire that this artist likes to play with rocks! I can appreciate a beautifully cut and polished stone as much as the next person, but I just love John's pieces that are irregularly shaped! They're so striking and unusual. This Snowfield Druzy Quartz pendant is a perfect example. This particular stone also has some elegant white and gold flecks in it.

And how about the gorgeous wire-wrap of this stunning Agate. John is also a metal smith and it shows in this piece. John has two blogs: one on Blogspot and another on Ganoksin. He writes about progress on current projects and posts finished pictures of his beautiful jewelry.

If you are looking for something unique, handmade and reasonably priced, visit Rasmussen Gems & Jewelry!

2011-05-27T11:46:00.000-06:00

This weeks Featured Artisan is Theresa Karnes - Tak Unique Designs. Teresa has beautiful creations in her shop! You can find Tak Unique Designs on:

2011-05-22T08:31:00.000-06:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch!

LISIANBLUE

Jax

I would like to introduce you all to Kris of LisianBlue out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. She shares her home with her cat, Jax, who sounds like a real character! I am still grinning about her comment in her bio on her Artfire Shop, "I own a rather finicky cat who doesn't paint, doesn't help me pack, heck he doesn't even chase mice!" Perhaps Jax doesn't inspire her, but it sounds like he has great entertainment value!

Kris is another multi-talented artist. Stained, hand-painted and etched glass, knits and crochet, and fine photography. She claims her father taught her that whatever she does, she should do it well - and she was listening!

Case in point... This elegant hand-painted vase is just stunning! It's tall form coupled with the painted lilies is a perfect combination. The soft hues Kris chose for this piece give it a classy, understated feel - enough to make it an eye-catcher but not so much as to detract from the flowers which it may hold! Her glass pieces have several layers of paint, with a 24-hour dry time between layers, which gives them all a three-dimensional feel.

Kris' crochet is amazing, too! It is so unusual to find someone that crochets and knits, and does both well. This red and gray crocheted scarf is just one of many examples in her Artfire Studio.

In her bio, she also notes her love of roses - I'm with you there, Kris! She's begun to offer fine art photographs in her shop on the new Handmade Artists' Shop site. These photos are so gorgeous and vivid, I bet you can even smell that rose captured in the picture!

Kris also has a delightful blog, twitter, and a flickr album. You'll enjoy your visit with Kris as much as I did!

2011-05-16T12:22:00.002-06:00

Yes, There Is a Site That Truly Supports Handmade!

It's no secret that I have a shop on Etsy - a tiny speck in a sea of over 400,000 other shops. And it's a sea with an ever-increasing number of resellers/manufacturers. It's so hard to compete with similar items at 1/10th of the cost. It's easy to keep your costs down when the 'artist' is a ten-year-old in Sri Lanka making 28¢ a week. And, please, don't get me started on the fees.

Enter the Handmade Artists' Shop. An extension of the Handmade Artists' Forum, the shop offered a selling platform to all of its members for a flat fee of $5 per month... no listing fees, no renewal fees, no final value fees. I just loved the folks on the forum, so I thought I would give it a try. The platform was clunky, slow and complicated. But I stuck with it because I like being part of a truly handmade community.

New Logo

The owners of the Forum and Shop knew the shop platform had issues. At the beginning of this year, out of their own pockets, they set out on a complete rebuild of the shop. They literally started from scratch to design a selling platform that was easy to use, fast, and visually appealing. Boy, did they accomplish their mission!!!! They are still limiting vendors to only handmade. A person actually reviews all requests to have a shop and approves/denies it. And the cost is still a flat $5 per month! But wait - there's a discount available on that too... $50 per year when paid annually!!! And there's more! They will be limiting total shops at 20,000. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's a whole lot less than 400,000!!!

I just LOVE my shop on the new platform! It was sooooo easy to set up. Please visit the new Handmade Artists' Shop and see for yourself! Maybe you will decide that you'd like to be part of a truly handmade community, too!

2011-05-15T08:49:00.001-06:00

Must-Read Blogs

DAHLISH KNITS

Gina, of Dahlish Knits, is such a character - and all that personality comes out in her delightful blog! She lives in North Dakota with her husband and two small children. She's a fanatic knitter, and somehow finds time to write regularly. This itself is a colossal feat! I've had two small children (or more) at home and don't remember having any time for such an endeavor!

The first thing I noticed when I visited Gina's blog today was the picture of her new knit slippers! Gina... how do I get a pair! They're awesome!!! Then there are articles about different things she's knit, shopping online, recommended books she's read, and other artists.

You just never know what surprises this blog will hold! For sheer entertainment, check out the Dahlish Knits blog!

2011-05-10T14:49:00.003-06:00

Share the Love!

This weeks Featured Artisan is Doug from Moonsong Ranch, featuring Handmade Alpaca Fashion products include felt nuno scarves, western style hats, purses,cases, knitted scarves and many other unique gift items. Our product ideas start at our alpaca ranch where we shear, process and create from fleece provided by our own animals. The inspiration comes from the natural exquisite beauty found in nature!

You can find Moonsong Ranch on:
Moonsong Ranch Website
Etsy
Artfire
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

2011-05-08T09:18:00.000-06:00

Amazing! Artists With a Special Touch!

HAFFINA

Oh, where to begin!?!?! I've written about Haffina before, but this good thing bears repeating! Frankly, I have no idea how she finds time to do all that she does! Mother of five, at least two blogs, her own website, two shops on Artfire and another on the Handmade Artists Shops... well, it's tiring just writing the list!

But it's her incredible and varied skills that just blow me away. Chainmaille, jewelry, magnets, scarves, gloves... the list goes on and on. Let me give you just a taste!

Gold Torque Necklace with Swarovski, Tigerseye and Aventurine

This GORGEOUS necklace highlights many of Haffina's skills in one place. I love the symmetry of this piece! The chainmaille is wonderful, the wire-wrap scroll work divine and the color combinations of the beading is delightful. This beautiful piece is a featured item in her Haffina Creations shop on Artfire.

Flat Blue Silver Polymer Clay Shimmer Pendant

And then, there are her polymer clay beads. I am certain I could write several stories just focusing on beads, but I want to share more of her talents with you. This bead is just dreamy. It's as if Haffina was able to capture the universe in this single cabochon. You can see more of her beads on her Beads By Haffina shop on Artfire.

And, just for fun, I found this whimsical magnet in her shop. This cutie is entitled, They Call Me Wanda, and I'm a Fish. It just makes me grin! This is a handmade, polymer clay piece with a magnet attached to the back with "strong glue."

You can get better acquainted with this multi-talented lady on both of her blogs: Haffina Creations on blogspot, and Haffina Creations on Wordpress. There is also a Haffina Creations web site with links to all of her other presences across the web. And her wonderful shops linked above are well worth a visit (or fifty!).

2011-05-03T11:14:00.000-06:00

SHARE THE LOVE!

This Weeks Featured Artisan for Share the Love is Angel Pearls! Beautiful, colorful crocheted Flowers for applique, feminine classic joyful jewelry, and vintage inspired and angelic earrings and brooches, and more! You can find Angel Pearls at:

Etsy

Angel Pearls Blog

Angel Pearls Collection

2011-05-01T17:07:00.000-06:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch!

tmusichans

Todd of tmusichans has made me smile. You see, most of you know I am "old," but what you may not know is that I'm one of the few people that lived through the 60s and do remember!

Todd is in Santa Fe, New Mexico and has developed a love of low-fire clay. He has an amazing array of Peace Signs in his shop, all of which bring me back to the days of my youth!

His pottery is beautiful, too! An elementary school teacher by trade, this artist is relaxing in vibrant hues and beautiful shapes! Check out tmusichans shop and see for yourself!

2011-04-26T09:05:00.000-06:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch

INTENTIONAL STONES

The first thing that I did when I arrived at Intentional Stones website was mumble, "Wow!" It's a remarkable and stunning page on a black background. So many places and people who supposedly "know" always tell you NEVER to photograph on a dark background... keep it light and bright. This site blows that advice away completely!

The description on that first page reads, "Intentional Stones is Simbelmynë and Mina, a two-woman beading and metalworking studio creating original hand-crafted works of art in gemstones and silver." I think these two have a knack for understatement, too! Here's why...

The symmetry in their pieces is wonderful. Their choices of color and shape are so unique and unusual. In my opinion, they are definitely creating works of art!

In addition to their beautiful site, they also have a shop on Artfire, a blog, a Facebook page, and both have Twitter presence (Simbelmynë and Mina). I'll leave you here with one more remarkable creation of theirs, hoping you'll visit them and find yourself in awe as I was!

2011-04-26T08:39:00.002-06:00

This weeks Featured Artisan for Share the Love is Ruth - RSS Designs in Fiber. Ruth has beautiful creations to decorate your home! Stop by RSS Designs in Fiber and see for yourself! You can find Ruth on:

2011-04-21T09:29:00.000-06:00

Are You On Fire For Handmade?

This week's featured artist for Share the Love is Vaudeville Gypsy. I just love her shop byline: "Jewelery and Accessories for 21st Century Vamps and Tribal Goddesses." All of the pieces in this shop are one of a kind. It's just full of gorgeous and unique hair accessories mixed in with vintage jewelry! You can find Vaudeville Gypsy on:

Twitter

2011-04-17T18:09:00.010-06:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch

T.Rusk4You

Oragami pendants

Hand Knotted Anniversary Pearls

I've written about Teresa Rusk before, but a good thing is certainly worth mentioning again! Teresa's byline on her shop on Etsy reads, "Handcrafted Jewelry for Every Woman." So true! From bold, striking and colorful oragami pendants to the classic elegance of a string of pearls, Teresa's shop has something for everyone!

She also has some truly elegant wire wrap pieces. This skill is something that has always eluded me, and I'm so in awe of those with this special 'touch.'

Teresa works only with high quality materials - sterling silver, fresh water pearls, semi-precious stones. The workmanship is superb, and you can see her craftsmanship and pride in her work in every piece.

But Teresa is not a one trick pony, as the old saying goes. She also owns a brick and mortar store called Hollyhocks LLC in Melbane, North Carolina. It's a consignment shop featuring a myriad of diverse artisans. Teresa writes, "We are dedicated to selling handmade to support local artists, our economy, and encourage local shopping."

You be completely entertained by her blog, too! And you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Teresa is a tireless promoter of her fellow handmade artisans as well, although I can't imagine how she finds the time! Please visit her sites - I know you will love them all just as I do!

2011-04-15T08:34:00.000-06:00

Are You On Fire For Handmade?

This week's featured artist for Share the Love is Hazel of MY GEMSTONE DESIGNS. Not only does Hazel have beautiful pieces in her shop, she's a genuinely delightful and sharing person! You can find Hazel on:

Etsy

Facebook

And two shops on Artfire!

2011-04-10T13:28:00.001-06:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch

Karina of Kabi Designs

Karina hails from New York. She discovered polymer clay in 2006. Since then, she's been doing some very interesting things with this material!

I must admit that when I first saw this piece (and others similar) in her shop, I shuddered, cringed, and mumbled "ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww." Obviously this pendant wouldn't be my choice of jewelry. But I am marveling at the attention to detail in this piece, all in polymer clay... the joints in the legs, the coloration of the body. It's just amazingly striking!

From realism to fantasy, this mermaid pendant is so charming. The pendant is a polymer clay base with shells and a vintage mermaid image, all sealed with high gloss. Looking at the two pictures, most people would guess "different artists." Not the case here - but I'm not done yet!

Karina's shop also has these delightful stitch markers! These are so much more fun than the plain white plastic circle markers most of us knitters/crocheters use!

And if that isn't enough variety, Karina's shop also has a nice selection of these fantasy art figures. Same polymer clay - completely different look and application!

Karina's shop, KabiDesigns currently has 46 items in it - talk about squeezing a LOT of variety into a small inventory! I noticed immediately that her prices are incredibly reasonable - from $10 to $25! She has a Flickr album, too, if you're hungry to see more of her work. Pay a visit to this very creative lady's shop - you'll be so intrigued!

2011-04-05T10:23:00.002-06:00

Need an Adventure?

A Visit to Reef Botanicals Blog Is Just That!

You never know what interesting things Eric & Larissa are up to, so it's always a surprise to visit their blog! Before starting this post, I spent almost an hour just catching up!!! From cake decorating and furniture refinishing, to candle scents and incredible soaps, to Mardis Gras in June parties - well it's just a delightful read!

Of course, links are posted to their own Reef Botanicals site and their Handmade Artists Shop - both worth a visit even to just enjoy their gorgeous photography (and I just HAD to include a
couple of pictures here to make my blog look so wonderful)!!

Reef Botanicals Blog is definitely one worth following - Well written, entertaining, informative and just good old-fashioned fun!

2011-04-05T08:42:00.000-06:00

Are You On Fire For Handmade?

This weeks Featured Artisan for Share the Love is Jewels by Trish - beautiful creations by a beautiful person. Trish uses a wide variety of gemstones, pearls and crystal in her creations! You can fine Jewels by Trish on:

Etsy

2011-03-30T13:02:00.000-06:00

Are you On Fire For Handmade?

This weeks Featured Artisan is Ingrid McCue - Wrapped in Silver. Ingrid creates unique handcrafted silver pieces to adorn your neck, wrist and ears! A must
have for every jewelry box! You can find Wrapped in Silver on:

Blog

Facbook

2011-03-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

Are you On Fire For Handmade?"

This weeks Featured Artisan is Diana - Luna Essence. Diana creates beautiful jewelry and manages a group on Facebook as well as an Etsy Team! You can find Luna Essence on:

Etsy
Artfire
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

2011-03-15T14:25:00.000-06:00

Are you On Fire for Handmade?

This weeks Featured Artisan is Cheryl - Too Fancy... her creations are wonderful! A must have for every Jewelry Box! You can find Too Fancy on:

http://www.gabsbags.net
Artfire

2011-03-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Are you On Fire for Handmade?

This weeks Featured Artisan is Shelly - owner of Handmade Creations by Shelly - Everything from A-Z... beautiful handmade creations! You can find Shelly at:
Etsy
Artfire
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

2011-02-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Share the Love - Featured Artisan from On Fire For Handmade
Gabs Bags

This weeks featured Artisan is Gabrielle, owner of Gabs Bags - Unique handbags to accent your wardrobe! You can find Gabs Bags at:

Etsy

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

2011-02-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

An Opportunity For You!

Do you have any item for sale that could be considered a "Winter White?" Diane's Dangles is inviting anyone and everyone to post an item on her blog, entitled The Handmade Place. The easy-to-follow instructions are in the right-hand sidebar. Thanks to Diane for this opportunity for some free advertising!!!

Once you've posted, be sure to share!

2011-02-15T10:53:00.002-07:00

Share the Love - Featured Artisan from On Fire For Handmade
Edi's Little Treasures

This weeks Featured Artisan is Edi's Little Treasures. True Treasures indeed.. Edi has wonderful creations! A Must have for every Jewelry Box!! You can find Edi at:

Etsy

Artfire

Bonanzle

Facebook

Blog

2011-02-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Share The Love

Featured Artisan from On Fire for Handmade!

This Week's Featured Artisan is Kim - Va Beach Quilter.. darling creations for you by a very talented lady!

Everything from A-Z! You can find Va Beach Quilter on:

Kim also has a Destash Shop Guild on Artfire for Shops with less than 15 sales.

2011-02-07T09:50:00.005-07:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch

Knits & Beads by Ebeth

Elizabeth hails from Cary, South Carolina. She is a self-taught knitter, learning from books and the help of friends. Then these same friends introduced her to beading and a new love was born!

Elizabeth does the 'regular' knitting - hats, scarves, etc. - all of which is lovely! This darling baby hat is knitted on circular needles in a variety of warm, autumn colors. What little one wouldn't look adorable in this little hat! If you would like to do it yourself, you can purchase the pattern from her shop, too!

I just LOVE this scarf - it looks so soft and warm. The rib knit is so even, one might think it was done by a machine, but not so! This knitter just has a very even and fluid touch making all of her pieces just gorgeous!

And then, there's the 'unusual' knitting - and here's the item that really tickles me - her knitted bracelets! That's right - knitted! How creative is that to even think about doing this, let alone mastering it!

Taupe Pearl Choker

Purple Haze Necklace

But this is only half of her name - Knits & Beads. As if her top-notch knitting skills weren't enough, look at the wonderful beading she does!

Just incredible - Don't you agree? You can find Elizabeth online through her delightful blog. Certainly, you will want to visit her shop, too!

2011-02-06T13:25:00.002-07:00

From Here to There

How to Knit a Flower

You've all seen those beautiful flowers on knitted hats and headbands. They're typically crocheted, but crocheting is not in my skill set. So I've figured out how to get the same or a very similar flower by knitting it and thought I'd share it with you here.

You'll need yarn, circular knitting needles, stitch markers, a darning needle, needle and thread, and a crochet hook.

First, cast on 60 stitches very loosely. Purl one row, placing a stitch marker after every twelfth stitch. Row 2, knit eleven stitches and slip the twelfth stitch all the way around. Knit rows 3 through 7 in the same way (knit 11, slip one). You'll have a total of 8 rows. Cut the yarn leaving a tail 18 inches long or longer. Thread this tail through the darning needle.

Now comes the fun part... You're going to pull that tail through all 60 stitches and that slipped stitch is going to wrap around the knitting to create the indentations between the petals of the flower. I tried to think of how to write this part of the instructions and decided that it was never going to make any sense. So I made a video to show you how to do it!

When you wrap the 5th slip around, pull the tail through stitch number one to secure it. Once you're all the way around, you'll have a large circle. Make sure the knitting isn't twisted and hold it down lightly on a flat surface while you pull the tail tighter through the stitches. This will draw them all in, giving you a more reasonably sized center of the flower. Once you're satisfied with the center size, sew a knot to stabilize it.

Next, you need to block the flower so that it lays flat and retains the shape you want it to have. I pin it down flat on my ironing board. When you're happy with the look, with your iron on full steam, hold the iron about an inch above the flower and steam it for no more than five seconds! You don't want to melt the yarn or flatten it! It should feel warm and a little moist at this point. Allow it to cool and dry in this position before you unpin it.

Once it's cool, position it on the piece where you want it and sew it all the way around the center with the tail. Sew in a knot, thread through to the back, sew another knot, weave the tail through the knitting and cut off the excess. Go back to the front and thread the beginning tail through your darning needle, weave it through the edge of the flower and to the back. Cut off the excess of this piece.

You finished layer one - congratulations! The top layer is made exactly the same way except that you cast on 55 stitches, purl one row putting markers every 11 stitches, then knit 10/slip 1 for six rows, for a total of 7 rows. Position the second layer on top of the first and sew down around the center, just as before.

To make the center of the flower, catch a stitch with your crochet hook and pull the tail through for crochet stitch one. Crochet a chain of 7 to 10 stitches, then put the wrong end of the crochet hook through the knitting so that you can pull it to the back. Pick up a stitch from the base knitting and crochet one stitch, then pull the tail through that stitch through the crochet to create a knot and secure the crocheted chain. Weave the tail through the work to hide it and cut off the excess. Boy I hope that makes sense!

So that the finished flower petals don't flop around, I take a single loose stitch with needle and thread to tack each one in place. You can also use hot glue to accomplish this.

2011-02-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

This Week's Featured Share the Love artisan from On Fire For Handmade is The Beas Knees... darling creations for you by a very talented lady!

Beth has lot of creations for you to see! You can find The Bea's Knees on:

Etsy

Unique pieces at very reasonable prices!

2011-01-30T14:27:00.001-07:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch

Impressions - Artisan Jewelry by Heidi

Heidi Coghlan of Summerville, South Carolina writes in her profile, "I have been "doing crafts" as long as I can remember.... I create so you can Create Yourself." I started learning about Heidi from her blog where I found articles featuring other artisans, meal planning tips, and articles about her tools of the trade. All of this was fascinating reading! She also has a Facebook page so that she can link to the rest of the world. I was truly in awe when I visited her shop on Etsy.

Purple Starburst Peruvian Thread Earrings

I don't wear a lot of jewelry - it's just not my style. But I do wear earrings and Heidi has a large and diverse inventory of earrings. I've seen these Peruvian Thread Earrings at craft shows and have just marveled at the patience it must take to do the weaving. But never have I seen any like Heidi's. Not only are they meticulously woven, but the copper frames are all hand wire-wrapped as well. Every detail is beautifully formed. And the addition of the tiny seed beads in the created web is simply stunning.

Hand Twisted Copper Wire Swirls with Rose Swarovski Crystals

And then, I went to her copper earrings section and was just in awe of these Swarovski Crystal and hand wrapped swirl earrings. Again, notice the balanced and fluid wrapping of the swirls. The combination of clear and rose crystals is so romantic and very timely with Valentine's Day coming up soon.

Celtic Dragon Earrings

I just had to check out her section of Pewter and Silver Earrings and found these wonderful Celtic Dragons! Suspended from sterling silver ear wires, the dragons float along with you held by Celtic knots and plum gemstones.

Heidi's shop has bracelets, necklaces, sets and cell phone charms as well. But I don't want to spoil all of your fun discovering the wonderful pieces Heidi has on your own! You will have a wonderful time visiting all of Heidi's sites, just as I did!

2011-01-28T13:57:00.002-07:00

My rag doll, Gail, is just tickled to be part of this delightful Treasury!

2011-01-25T08:56:00.001-07:00

This weeks Featured Artisan for Share the Love Tuesday from On Fire for Handmade is Diane's Dangles!

Diane has wonderful creations for you to see in her shops.

Not only does Diane create true treasures she is dedicated to promoting her fellow artisans which is a wonderfully kind act! You can find Diane's Dangles on:

Artfire
Twitter
Facebook

Diane also has a 2nd shop on Artfire called BeadSouk... take a peek there too!

2011-01-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch

T.Rusk4U

The featured artist this week in the Handmade Artists Forum Blog Ring is T.Rusk4U, a lady who does it all. She is not only a fabulous jewelry artisan, she also owns a shop in North Carolina which sells nothing but handmade items, maintains two blogs, a twitter feed, a Facebook page and is a tireless promoter of other handmade artisans. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about all that she does!

T.Rusk's work is stylish, classy and classic. This beautiful, delicate bracelet is just stunning. And these delicate lampwork, wire- wrapped earrings are so feminine an lovely.

And if you're looking for truly classic, there is nothing more timeless than a graduated pearl necklace with matching earrings. This beautiful set was created using the pearls from a pair of older, broken necklaces. So on top of everything else, T.Rusk is 'eco-friendly' to boot! Gorgeous... just gorgeous!

T.Rusk's store is Hollyhocks, LLC located in historic downtown Mebane, North Carolina. All of these lovely pieces and more can be seen and enjoyed in person when you drop in!

On the web, you can find her all over the place! There's the T.Rusk4u blog, the Hollyhocks LLC blog, her HandmadeArtistsShop, her Etsy shop, Twitter and Facebook (I think I got everything!).

Please visit her sites and shops - you'll be so glad you did!

2011-01-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

Amazing! Artists With A Special Touch

Jewelry by NaLa


These are my personal favorites!

Valentine's Day is coming and who doesn't love a new trinket to celebrate the occasion? Please do visit Jewelry by NaLa for a delightful selection of jewelry. Care and artistry is in every piece she designs. Aren't these earrings just lovely?! Is my husband reading my blog? Need a gift idea sweetie? :}

NaLa is also the featured artisan from On Fire for Handmade this week! You can find NaLa at:

Etsy

Her Blog