Craft News
September is National Sewing Month
National Sewing Month (www.nationalsewingmonth.org) was started by the Sewing & Craft Alliance (www.gotsewing.com) in 1982. The observance of National Sewing Month began with a proclamation from President Ronald Reagan declaring September as National Sewing Month "In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation." National Sewing Month is a time to indulge your passion for sewing and is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to the craft if you've never tried it before.
Free sewing projects and guidelines for sewing, embroidery, craft and applique articles are available for both new and experienced sewing enthusiasts on the Sewing & Craft Alliance (SCA) website at www.sewing.org. Don't forget to take a look at the contests and other events they have planned.
Happy Sewing!
September 2nd, 2010
New Craft Products Awareded for Innovation
New Craft Products Awarded for Innovation
The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) announced the winners of the 2010 CHA Summer Show Innovations Showcase Awards. The awards represent the industry's most prestigious recognition for product innovation.
The Innovations Showcase brought together the newest ideas and most innovative products from over 55 companies. The winners were:
INNOVATIONS WINNER - Rocky Mountain Ventures for the Flip-Pal mobile scanner (http://flip-pal.com/)
INNOVATIONS RUNNER UP - Photocentric for the Stamp Maker (http://www.photocentric.co.uk/)
INNOVATIONS HONORABLE MENTION - The Lewibelle Company for Z-Access™ Display Frames (http://www.displayit3d.com/)
These products are worth checking out!
Celebrity Craft Expert Terri O Hosts Satellite Media Tour for National Craft Month
Location: Nationwide
Two-time Emmy Award winning television personality and craft celebrity expert Terri Ouellette, better know to her fans as Terri O, is promoting National Craft Month and Spring Trends in crafting this month through a Satellite Media Tour. This tour will air on television news shows across the country and she will make appearances live at several stations across the country. Some of the shows will be taped to be shown at a later date.
As a home arts expert, Terri O shares her passion for creativity through her website http://www.terriocraftprojects.com, a monthly newsletter, blog, and television appearances across the country. Terri currently hosts and produces internet based video programming to inspire creativity. On the website you’ll find segments that feature products, tools, quick craft tips, 101 techniques and ideas on how to re-purpose and recycle items from around the house.
Terri O’s specializes in creating something out of nothing! For six years and running, the Craft & Hobby Association has chosen Terri O to inspire America. She lends her expertise as an expert in upcoming trends as well as consumer needs.
Terri O has been a featured guest on "The Early Show", the Discovery Channel, HGTV, TLC, PBS and host of "Crafting with Terri O" on QVC. She continues to write articles, contribute projects for newspapers and magazines, as well as weekly live TV segments and media tours.
You can find Terri on Twitter, Facebook, and she offers a Super Simple™ DVD Series on her website. Or, catch her during her Satellite Media Tour- she'll be appearing in the following markets:
Location
Show
Network
Date
Time
Charleston, SC
Low Country Live Show
ABC
3/16
9:00-9:05am
Flint, MI
Better Michican TV
WNEM
week of 3/15
9:55-10:00am
Albuquerque, NM
Good Day New Mexico
NBC
w/in 2 week of 3/11
10:20-10:25am
Springfield, MO
4pm News
ABC
week of 3/15
11:00-11:05am
Nashville, TN
Talk of the Town
CBS
3/15
11:15-11:20am
St. Louis, MO
Carrie Edelstein
KMOV
w/in 2 week of 3/11
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March 1st, 2010
Celebrate National Craft Month
March is National Craft Month! What better time to celebrate all things crafting? So make some extra time to work on a craft project this month. Here are some tips to get your started:
Just do it! β Sometimes starting is the hardest part. Crafting is something you do for yourself- find the time to get back to something you love.
Give yourself permission to make mistakes. β Can’t replicate the projects you see in store displays and magazines? So what! Sometimes mistakes create the best results.
Get inspired. β For project ideas in all craft types and for all skill and age levels, check out all of the great craft projects on craftplace.org. Sort by step-by-step projects to see projects with instructions or inspirations to see finished projects that will jump-start your creativity. Local craft stores are also a great source of inspiration- find a store near you by visiting the store locator.
Get involved. β Crafting doesn’t have to be something you do alone. Be part of something:
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Take a class- try something new or brush up on old skills. Take a friend and share the experience.
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Volunteer to share your crafting expertise- work with local scouting troops, nursing homes, your local library, after school programs or community centers.
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Join a crafting club, quilting guild or attend a crop. Can’t find a local group? Start your own! Contact your local craft store if you need help spreading the word and getting started.
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Connect with kids- Children of all ages love to craft. Use National Craft Month to get in on the fun with your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews!
Teach someone. β Use National Craft Month as an excuse to teach your friends to knit, your son or daughter to quilt, or your neighbor to scrapbook. Maybe they’ll take the time to teach you something new in the future.
Have fun. β More than anything else, National Craft Month is all about having fun doing something you love. Celebrate National Craft Month and rediscover the joy that crafting can bring to your life.
April 22nd, 2010
Celebrate Earth Day With Crafts
Earth Day was founded in 1970 as an effort to promote a healthy, sustainable environment. This year, celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day with crafts! Crafting lends itself so well to reusing, recycling and repurposing. There are so many possibilities of how to turn trash to treasure and bringing new life to household items, rescuing items otherwise bound for the garbage dump- plastic jugs can become watering cans; a cereal boxes decoupage’d or covered with decorative paper can hold magazines; bottle caps can be beautiful embellishments in scrapbooks or jewelry. Check out the sites below for some great project ideas and a health dose of inspiration that is bound to help you have a fun and creative Earth Day:
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Projects created from recycled, reused and natural materials: http://www.eco-artware.com/crafts/archive.php
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Sewing projects bringing new life to old materials: http://www.janomespecials.com/janome-go-green.html
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Useful things your do with your old stuff: http://www.make-stuff.com/recycling/
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Cool recycling and salvage crafts: http://www.squidoo.com/coolrecycling
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Inspiration on how one artist transforms trash into jewelry: http://www.annmadeart.com/
Just for Kids
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Earth Day crafts from Crayola: http://www.crayola.com/crafts/earth-day-crafts/
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Kids craft projects using household recycled items: http://ziggityzoom.com/parentsguide/content/kids-craft-projects-out-household-recycled-materials
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Kids crafts, environmental games and recycling activities: http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/earth-day/earth_day_crafts.html
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Simple projects for kids of all ages: http://www.makingfriends.com/earthday.htm
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Building musical instruments from recycled materials: http://home.earthlink.net/~jbertles/
Green Craft Blogs
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Creative Kismet: http://blog.creativekismet.com/category/recycled-crafts/
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Crafting a Green World: http://craftingagreenworld.com/
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The Long Thread: http://thelongthread.com/?cat=20
January 11th, 2010
iLovetoCreate Gets Crafty for National Dress Up Your Pet Day
URL : http://www.ilovetocreate.com/education.aspx
Check out some of the hottest fashions for your pets! iLovetoCreate has designed chic couture for traditional and, well, less traditional pets. Check out the video to see the looks and then visit the projects section of the site for step-by-step instructions to create them for your 4-legged friends!
CHA Winter 2010 Craft SuperShow
URL : http://www.craftsupershow.com
The CHA Craft SuperShow is coming to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA on January 22-23, 2010! Get ready for 2 fun days of hands on crafting, shopping and fun for the whole family.
Handmade Especially for You
URL : http://www.crochetmagazine.com/newsletters.php?mode=article&article_id=385&key=NL00
Leslye Borden has taken her passion for knitting and crocheting beyond her own personal use by creating an organization that brings a bit of joy to abused women. Handmade Especially for You distributes special scarves to women and children in shelters. Presently, there is a request to the organization for 1,000 scarves for Thanksgiving baskets and another 2,000 for…
click here to read more about this incredible new organization and how you can get involved.
September 18th, 2009
Scrapbook.com introduces Scrap by Color: a free tool for scrapbookers
URL : http://www.scrapbook.com/color/
Scrapbook.com just unveiled a really cool, free, online color matching tool that can help you find the perfect color schemes and coordinating products for your projects! All you have to do is upload your photos and Scrap by Color suggests color schemes, layout ideas and even embellishments and papers that will work with your photo. Check it out and change the way you prepare to scrapbook!
Click here to check it out!
September 10th, 2009
Tulip Fabric Spray Paint used at New Yorkβs Fashion Night Out!
Location: New York, NY
Tulip® Fabric Spray Paint™, typically known as a “craft” product, was spotlighted as a true fashion design product at the Quicksilver Women’s & Tia’s Place DIY Craft Bar in honor of Fashion’s Night Out on September 10, 2009.
Hosted by Erica Domesek, DIY maven of P.S.-I made this…, the all-day event provided shoppers at Tia’s Place in New York’s Grand Central Station an opportunity to make a free t-shirt or wristlet using Tulip® Fabric Spray Paint™!
“Everybody loved love loved the sprays...they were such a hit,” said Domesek. “The neons were definitely the most popular, which is not a surprise given current fashion trends.”
Fashion’s Night Out was an inaugural event to kick-off New York Fashion Week. Every fashion retailer across the five New York boroughs were encouraged to share in the fun of fashion again—flagships, tiny boutiques, massive department stores, young designers, mainstream chains, and niche luxury names alike —by keeping its doors open late on the evening of September 10 and to implement creative customer experiences welcoming all.
More information on Tulip Fabric Spray Paint can be found on www.ilovetocreate.com.
September 9th, 2009
Spotlight on Color
URL : http://www.softflexcompany.com/spotlightcolor_Sep09.html
Margie Deeb from Soft Flex Company helps you determine the intensity of color and how that will help you make beautiful color palettes.
September 8th, 2009
Color trends Autumn/Winter 2009/2010
URL : http://www.beadstylemag.com/bds/default.aspx?c=a&id=1909
Twice a year, Swarovski releases Crystallized color mixes that reflect color trends. These can be used as a launch pad to inspire your own seasonal palettes.
BeadStyle Magazine is offering a download of this color trends guide for free! Click here to access the guide.
Cool Tool: the Threadster from Kreinik
While it may not be new news, we just discovered the Threadster™ from Kreinik and are so excited to share this cool tool! It lets you write with thread, just like with a pen. You do need to write onto tape, but the Threadster give you full control to create intricate details and keeps your hands free from sticking to the tape! Plus, you can use a variety of different threads and fibers. Click here to learn more about it—and if you have any Threadster created projects of your own, post them to site.
August 1st, 2009
Great Turnout at the CHA Craft SuperShow!
Location: Orlando, FL
URL : http://www.facebook.com/CraftSuperShow?v=photos&viewas=0
The first ever CHA Craft SuperShow attracted over 8,000 crafters from across Florida, from 48 states and from 18 countries. Attendees came to learn new crafts and techniques, take workshops, shop and have fun. Enjoying aisles of inspiration, hands-on make-n-takes and exciting crafting events and activities, the SuperShow was a super success
Click here to visit the Facebook photo albums to check out some of the SuperShow fun!
April 3rd, 2009
Knitting for Your Health
Check out this CBS news segment about the health benefits of knitting and crocheting!
Watch CBS Videos Online
Take the Craft Night Pledge to Enjoy the Benefits of Crafting Year Round
Location: Nationwide
Starting this March the Craft & Hobby Association is challenging individuals and families to take the Craft Night Pledge of crafting one night a week with your friends and family. By participating in just one craft per week, people can enjoy the financial, social as well as the emotional and extrinsic benefits of crafting - including sense of accomplishment, memory keeping, relaxation, and spending time with friends and family.
CHA developed the Craft Night Pledge to support individuals and families in this regard, as well as provides a Flickr site where you can share your inspiration crafting photos.
Click here for the Craft Night Pledge form.
Click here for directions on how to share your crafting photos via Flickr.
