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From the category archives:

Craft Books

Ebook Review: Crunchy Granola Charm

January 25, 2010

I’m interested in reviewing more self-published books and ebooks this year. Yvette Doss sent me a review copy of Crunchy Granola Charm, the first title from her new indie publishing company, Blooming Editions.
The title refers not to breakfast cereal, but to a moniker some people give to the 1960s cultural scene. The ebook contains seven [...]

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Some High-Value US Craft Books

January 18, 2010

Last week’s discussion about Japanese vs. US craft books was freaking amazing! We heard from book readers, authors, and publishers. Thank you to everyone who chimed in! (And, please keep chiming in if you like.)

Now, one thing that emerged in this conversation is that some folks seemed to hear me saying that all US craft [...]

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Japanese Craft Books vs. US Craft Books: your thoughts?

January 11, 2010

I’ve been culling my craft book stash lately, and thinking a lot about Japanese craft books.

I should say right up front: I receive a fair number of review copies from US craft book publishers. So I’ve been in the fortunate position to see a lot of the new titles that have come out in the [...]

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Giveaway Week, Day 5: I Love Patchwork

January 1, 2010

Update: This drawing is now closed. Congratulations to Deedles, the winner of this book!

Happy 2010, everyone! Let’s wrap up this week of giveaways, shall we?

Our last prize up for grabs is a copy of Rashida Coleman-Hale’s I Love Patchwork. It’s definitely visually reminiscent of Japanese craft books.

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Giveaway Week, Day 4: Sew Liberated

December 31, 2009

Update: Congratulations to kkimberly, the winner of this book!

Updated to add: A bunch of early entries seem to have misunderstood today’s question, so I’ve rephrased it. I want to know what you’re letting go of, okay?

________________________________________________________
So, your entries in yesterday’s giveaway were really interesting. I was surprised at the number of people whose “what [...]

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Giveaway Week, Day 3: Enchanted Adornments

December 30, 2009

Update: Congratulations to bookscout27, the winner of this book!>

Don’t worry – the massive design-tweaking going on around here will not stop the flow of giveaways this week!

Today’s prize up for grabs is a copy of Enchanted Adornments, by Cynthia Thornton. It’s part mixed-media jewelry book, and part fairy tale.

There are 20 projects, covering a [...]

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Giveaway Week, Day 2: Cute Dogs and Cute Pups

December 29, 2009

Update: Congrats to Lind-E, the winner of this book!

Wowee, I had fun reading all your entries in yesterday’s giveaway! Let’s continue the theme, shall we?
Today’s entry in our Week of Giveaways is a twofer – both Cute Dogs and Cute Pups, by Chie Hayano. These are Japanese craft books, translated to English by Vertical, [...]

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Giveaway Week, Day 1: Applique Your Way

December 28, 2009

Updated: Congrats to LSS, the winner of this drawing!

So it’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s – a time when traditionally, not much happens. (Unless you work in retail, of course. And if you do, I am sending you good thoughts.)
Anyway. I thought it might be fun to have a week of giveaways [...]

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Review: Sew Liberated

December 19, 2009

Sew Liberated is a fun collection of mostly applique projects, with a few other embellishment techniques in the mix. (Full disclosure: Interweave Press sent me a review copy.)

Although the cover model is this pretty skirt, the projects in Sew Liberated are primarily home decor and gift items. (There are three wearable projects for adults, and [...]

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Review: Applique Your Way

December 12, 2009

Let’s do some full disclosures first: Chronicle Books sent me this review copy. I’m blogging as part of the Applique Your Way Blog Tour. And, see that tote bag on the cover – with the apples? I made that!

Kayte Terry has done a great job with Applique Your Way, using several techniques to make a [...]

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Indie Publishing Stories, Part 5: Mid-Century Modern, from Curbly

December 11, 2009

A couple weeks ago, I had an email from Shelly, letting me know that the online DIY community Curbly was about to come out with a book.
I immediately assumed it was the kind of blog-to-book affair that we’re beginning to see a lot of from mainstream publishers. Only it’s not. As I discovered, it’s way, [...]

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Save $3.00 on Crafty Tree Trimmings!

December 9, 2009

Hey, friends – we’ve just issued a sweet coupon code for Crafty Tree Trimmings!

Thanks to many of you, we’ve been building a nice donation for Project Linus since we released the ebook a few weeks ago. But we’d like to raise even more.

So, we decided to issue a coupon, in hopes that even more people [...]

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Free Ebook: Crafts for The Knittn’ Kitten

December 9, 2009
Thumbnail image for Free Ebook: Crafts for The Knittn’ Kitten

Crafts for The Knittn’ Kitten

Whew! I have so many projects going on right now, I’ve barely had time to blog about any of them.

So let’s start with the free one! If you recall, a group of Portland crafters spent October and November taking turns donating free project sheets to The Knittn’ Kitten.

Well. all those [...]

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Indie Publishing Stories, Part 4: The Learn to Knit Kit

December 8, 2009

This wonky knit swatch represents a huge accomplishment for me. Knitting is my crafty kryptonite – the one craft I have never been able to grasp.

So when Tara Swiger (of Blonde Chicken Boutique fame) contacted me about her new Learn to Knit ebook kit, I figured if anyone could test its educational value, it [...]

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Indie Publishing Stories, Part 1: Mixtape!

December 2, 2009

I’ve been seeing so many cool stories in independent publishing lately. I’ll be sharing a few over the next week or so.

…And for starters, I was so thrilled to get the latest issue of Mixtape! In its bigger-and-badder new format – I put an older issue in the shot for comparison.

In case you’re not familiar [...]

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Giveaway Winners (and a coupon!)

November 30, 2009

Just a quick note: I’ve drawn winners for the free copies of Craft Leftovers Monthly. Congrats to Pam, Sarah, and lsmucker!

If you missed out on the freebie, Kristin is offering CraftyPod readers a special coupon code for 20% off any Craft Leftovers Monthly order. (Which is cool, because there are lots of awesome back issues.)

Just [...]

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A Kanzashi Book + Kit Dealio

November 23, 2009

Well, this certainly took me long enough, but I’ve finally listed a special-edition of Kanzashi In Bloom in my shop.

For the list price of $21.95, I’ll sign your copy with whatever you’d like me to write, and I’ll throw in this handy Kanzashi Kit.

The kit contains 24 squares of assorted fabric, 3 coordinating buttons, 3 [...]

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Giveaway (Times 3): Craft Leftovers Monthly!

November 23, 2009

Yaaaay, the new Craft Leftovers Monthly is out! And this issue is bigger and prettier than ever!

CLM is one of my favorite indie publishing efforts, and it’s been such fun to watch it grow and change over its first year. Kristin has put a lot of effort into this project, and has blossomed as a [...]

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Don’t Miss: Applique Your Way Book Signing

November 22, 2009

Hey, Locals –

Hope you can swing by Powell’s tomorrow (Monday) night for Kayte Terry’s book signing! She’s in town with her lovely new applique book, Applique Your Way.

In addition to the usual book signing stuff, Kayte will be teaching folks to make this cute applique mushroom ornament from the book.

All the deets are over [...]

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Giveaway: 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse

November 9, 2009

Happy New Week, everyone! Quarry Books has donated a copy of Garth Johnson’s new book, 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse for a giveaway.

I must admit, I haven’t seen this book in person yet – though I’m super excited to have a few pieces in it. If you want to learn more, you can read reviews [...]

Read the full article →

Cool Zine Alert: Contours

November 5, 2009

Still trying to catch up on my zine blogging. Su, of Tangled Press fame, sent me this gem a while back – and it is a gem.

She was thinking about doodling, and realized that this contour line type of doodle that you see on the cover has appeared in many of her creative projects. So [...]

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Yippee! A new ebook: Crafty Tree Trimmings!

November 2, 2009

I am super, super excited to share this project with you. Back in July, a group of crafters put our heads together and dreamed up this pretty holiday ebook – Crafty Tree Trimmings!
It’s a collection of how-tos for lovely holiday ornaments, and we hope you’ll give these projects a try for your ornament swap, home [...]

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Review: Bend the Rules with Fabric

October 26, 2009

I’ve been having fun reading Amy Karol’s new book, Bend the Rules with Fabric, and dreaming up ways to, well, bend the rules with… you get the picture.

Amy has created a very thorough and user-friendly textbook for altering fabrics so they express your unique personality. There are lots of interesting techniques here.

Pushkin found it very [...]

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Social Media for your Crafty Business

October 19, 2009
Thumbnail image for Social Media for your Crafty Business

Wow, Gang – I went ahead and wrote another ebook. (Yes, I begin to question my own sanity, too.)
Anyway, this one is called Social Media for your Crafty Business. I’m really happy with how it turned out. Here are some details:

Social Media for your Crafty Business
Social media websites like Facebook and Twitter have exploded [...]

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Review: Home, Paper, Scissors

October 13, 2009

I was so excited to see Home, Paper, Scissors come out, because, like a lot of us, I’m always amazed by Patricia Zapata’s blogged paper projects.

I really love the idea of a papercraft book that bypasses all the usual greeting cards and paper chains and such, and instead offers actually-useful stuff for the home. There [...]

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Most-Excellent New Zines

October 8, 2009

Ack! I’m developing a stockpile of new zines I want to share with you. I better get on this…

So, I just received my October Craft Leftovers Monthly. I know I’ve said it before, but I find this zine so charming, and it’s been so fun to watch it grow over the past year.

The theme of [...]

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A cool new ebook: Game Knitting

October 6, 2009

I never get tired of seeing cool, crafty self-publishing. The ever-talented Lee Meredith has just released her first long-format ebook, Game Knitting. It’s a super-cool concept. As she describes it:
“If you love both knitting and playing games, maybe you’ve wished you could somehow do both at the same time. Sure, you can knit a few [...]

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Cool Reader Projects from Kanzashi In Bloom

September 30, 2009

I’ve been meaning to share some cool stuff from the Kanzashi In Bloom Flickr group. Creative people from all over have been posting insanely cool projects. Makes me want to go back and write the thing all over again so I can include them!

For example, this cute upgrade of a thrift-store handbag by Suzy Spence, [...]

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Giveaway: Creating a Blog Audience

September 18, 2009

I’ve been so thrilled with the reception for my new ebook, Creating a Blog Audience! And the reviews have been awesome.
I thought it might be fun to celebrate with a little giveaway. So – up for grabs is a copy of this here ebook, and its accompanying worksheet pack!
To enter to win, leave a comment [...]

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Will we see you on Sunday?

September 18, 2009

  

Hey, Portland – just a reminder to come hang out with Susan Beal, Alicia Paulson, and me this Sunday at 2:00 at Hollywood Library. We’re presenting a Crafty Writers Talking session, and we’d love to answer your questions about writing and publishing craft books.

Details are here. Please join us!

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Ebook Review: Make and Takes Monster Mania

September 17, 2009

I think Make and Takes Monster Mania is a jim-dandy example of digital publishing. (I’m so excited about it, I’m using phrases like “jim-dandy.”)

This ebook is by Marie LeBaron, of Make and Takes fame. Marie is an educator and a mom, and she’s compiled a wonderful group of projects to do with young children.

Why the [...]

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Kanzashi How-To Video!

September 16, 2009
Thumbnail image for Kanzashi How-To Video!

Kanzashi-Making, by Sister Diane from Diane Gilleland on Vimeo.
A little fun news on the Kanzashi front this week – Woman’s Day has a project excerpt from my book in the current issue. (Page 28, to be exact.)
They also asked me to make a Kanzashi demo video for their website, so I thought I’d share it [...]

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An Honor Just to be Nominated!

September 11, 2009

Popping in here to share an awesome thing I just discovered: my weaving ebook is up for vote for the October Book Club on Craftevolution!

(If you’ve never heard of this awesome crafty book club, all the details are here.)

Anyway, I’m up against some Very. Stiff. Competition, so I’m not sure I have much chance of [...]

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Save The Date: Crafty Writers Talking

September 10, 2009

  

Hey, Locals – mark your calendars! On Sunday, Sept. 20 (that’s next weekend), Hollywood Library is hosting a panel discussion of crafty authors.

I’ll be there with Susan Beal and Alicia Paulson, and we’ll be answering your questions about craft-book-writing.

All the deets are over here. Hope to see you there!

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Review (Giveaway!): Wrapagami

September 10, 2009

This is an exciting book! Jennifer Playford has taken the Japanese art of Furoshiki, or fabric-wrapping, and compiled a lovely, simple guide.

I’m totally incorporating some of this into my upcoming holiday wrapping. (And, making use of some fabric stash in the process.)

Wrapagami offers up 25 ways to use square or rectangular pieces of fabric [...]

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Ebook Review: Small Stitches

September 8, 2009

The awesome indie crafty publishing continues! Carina has just released an ebook (or, ebooklette) – Small Stitches, a lovely primer for people who want to dive into embroidery.

There are photo how-to’s for 11 stitches here, including Satin Stitch, Running Stitch, French Knots, Daisy Stitch, Buttonhole, and others. Carina also offers up a nice Basics [...]

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Say Hello to Parasol•Craft!

August 27, 2009

…Speaking of indie publishing, there’s a brand-new online craft magazine, and it’s amazing. Parasol•Craft is a sister magazine to Parasol, which many of you already know and love.

Both projects come from the talented mind of Yasmine Surovec, who also blogs at A Print A Day. Yasmine has curated a really wide-ranging and fresh craft mag [...]

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Big Thanks & Future Conversation

August 27, 2009

This is a quick post, with two purposes:

First, I want to say a heartfelt Thank You to everyone who’s taken the time to offer their insights on yesterday’s ebook post. You’ve given me so many new avenues to explore, and much great food for thought. And I’m deeply grateful.

______________________________________________________

Which brings me to the other reason [...]

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Review: Wool Pets

August 25, 2009

I’ve been dancing around needle felting for a while now. I totally want to get into this craft, but I fear that when I do, it’ll take over my life.

In what may be an act of fate, Laurie Sharp stopped by my demo at Urban Craft Uprising and introduced herself. She gave me a [...]

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Review: Crocheted Gifts

August 18, 2009

So, it’s August, which means that, yes, we should really be turning our attention to what we’re going to make for holiday gifts this year. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

Still, this is great timing for Crocheted Gifts to come out from Interweave Press. It’s a lovely collection of projects to make and give, designed by crochet luminaries including Doris [...]

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sewExpecting ebook, by Leigh Ann Tennant

August 18, 2009

I linked to this one in the latest podcast, but wanted to give it a fuller review here. Leigh Ann Tennant, who writes an excellent blog called The Object Project, has released an ebook of simple sewing projects for new mothers.

sewExpecting contains 20 projects, which include bibs, burp cloths, changing mats, diaper clutches, and blankets. [...]

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CraftyPod #98: Two Ways to Publish a Craft Book, with June Gilbank

August 15, 2009
Thumbnail image for CraftyPod #98: Two Ways to Publish a Craft Book, with June Gilbank

 
icon for podpress  Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this show:
- Some straight talk about crafty publishing: what’s it really like to have a craft book published the traditional way? And what’s it like to publish a crafty ebook?
- Plus, a short interview with June Gilbank, who sells self-published crochet patterns, and has a print book in progress, and has just released [...]

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A delightful zine about The Borrowers

August 14, 2009

The past few weeks have brought me several great new zines. This amazing thing, by Su Mwamba, makes me 100% happy.

If you’re not familiar with The Borrowers, they’re the subject of a delightful childrens’ book series. A race of tiny people who stay hidden from full-size humans, but “borrow” all kinds of things to help [...]

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Giveaway: Crochet Adorned!

August 12, 2009

Two things: first, this is a project I contributed to Crochet Adorned – double-layered trivets. ‘Twas fun! And believe me, If I can make these, anybody can. Anybody.

And secondly, I have an extra copy of this fine book to give away!

Leave a comment here and tell me what you find most challenging about crochet. I’ll [...]

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Review: Crochet Adorned

August 12, 2009

I have dreams of someday crocheting a garment for myself, but it’s really unlikely that will ever happen. I just don’t have the time to develop all the skills needed for that particular kind of craft.
But I’m super excited about Linda Permann’s new book, Crochet Adorned. Linda’s taken the genius approach of crocheting pretty trims [...]

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Getting back to what’s REALLY important…

August 6, 2009

I know what you’re thinking…

“Sure, Diane, that’s all well and good about that whole book thing, but WHEN are you going to get back to blogging about plastic canvas?!”

Well, at Urban Craft Uprising I got to meet Dawnise, who, in addition to being awesome, gifted me with some great PC stuff, including this magazine. Say [...]

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My Powell’s Moment

August 5, 2009

So… I had my book signing at Powell’s last night. This was, co-incidentally, my last book event, wrapping up two weeks of intense promotions. And it was pretty dang cool.

One of the best things (from a geeky standpoint) about author events at Powell’s is this freaking amazing podium. I’ve wanted to stand behind that bad-boy [...]

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Mom reviews my book! (And makes something cool…)

August 4, 2009

It’s definitely a fun thing to have a book out, but I’ll tell you what’s way more fun: having your Mom review said book on her own blog, and make a killer project from it!

Mom did an awesome mashup of two projects in the book: the Tiny Blossom Earrings and the Back to Back Ornament. [...]

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Kanzashi Invades Powell’s Books – Tonight!

August 4, 2009

 
Hey, Locals – tonight’s the big night. I’ll be doing a book signing event at Powell’s Books downtown!

We start at 7:30pm in the Pearl Room. I’ll talk a bit about where Kanzashi comes from and share a few stories from the making of the book. Then I’ll do some Q&A, and then we’ll all fold [...]

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Blog Book Tour (Last) Stop: West Coast Crafty

August 2, 2009

Whew! The Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour comes to an end over at West Coast Crafty. Susan Beal and I both live in PDX, so we got together recently to make some Kanzashi from vintage fabrics and buttons.

(…Because Susan knows her vintage buttons!)

Anyway, we had a great time, and Susan documented our fun. Her photos [...]

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See you in Seattle this weekend?

July 31, 2009

Hey, Seattelites – I’m super excited to be going to Urban Craft Uprising tomorrow!

I’ll be there teaching a little Kanzashi-making workshop from 12:30 – 1:30, and then signing books from 2-3. I’d love to meet you!

Actually, UCU will be packed with crafty demos and signings, including Susan Beal, Becky Stern, Jennifer Worick, Moxie, Kristen [...]

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Book Blog Tour Stop: Average Jane Crafter

July 30, 2009

Today’s stop on the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour is super fun!
Rachel Hobson, of Average Jane Crafter, not only reviews the book, but she interviewed my thumbs!
Wait – what?
It all makes sense if you read her post. Which is hilarious!
The whole blog tour, you may have heard, is over here.

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Book Blog Tour Stop: Zakka Life

July 29, 2009

Today, the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour stops at Zakka Life. Jessica Okui has a nice review of the book, and a peek at a couple more projects: the Stretch & Bloom Headband, and the Super Star Tote.

(Which is a good opportunity to mention: you can make more than flowers with these Kanzashi techniques! In [...]

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Blog Book Tour Stop: Betz White

July 28, 2009

Today, we stop over at Betz White’s blog on the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour.

Betz is offering up a giveaway, illustrated with some of the most beautiful book-review photos I’ve seen. She’s also offering a peek at a few projects, including a Kanzashi ponytail clip and some cheery little shoe clips.

Link on over to her [...]

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Book Blog Tour Stop: Whipup

July 27, 2009

We’re stopping at Whipup today on the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour.

For something a little different, I contributed a guest post about one of the few remaining traditional Kanzashi masters in the world. Her name is Kuniko Kanawa, and she’s on a mission to keep the traditional form of this craft alive.

Link over to Whipup [...]

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Special Dealio on Ebooks for Cut Out + Keep Readers!

July 27, 2009

Look! It’s a non-Kanzashi post! :-)
I thought y’all might like to know that Cut Out + Keep just posted a review of my weaving ebook, and is offering up a coupon deal!
Link on over to get a coupon code that’ll give you 20% off any ebook or tutorial purchase in my shop. Blogging ebook included!
The [...]

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Still hoping to win a free copy?

July 26, 2009

Psssssssssssst! If you’re looking to win a free copy of Kanzashi In Bloom, I thought you’d like to know about two new giveaways going on:
- CraftStylish is giving one copy away. Enter their drawing over here. Deadline is Wednesday, July 29.
- Craft Gossip also has a giveaway copy. You can enter that drawing here, and [...]

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A great book event at Twisted!

July 26, 2009

Yesterday’s book event at Twisted was just lovely! I arrived to find this in the shop’s front window – how freaking cool is that? Shannon and Emily, who co-own the store, are the kindest and most community-engaged women. If you haven’t visited Twisted, you really should. It’s such a great place to hang out.
(And, [...]

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Book Blog Tour Stop: Futuregirl

July 26, 2009
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Blog Book Tour stop: Dollar Store Crafts

July 25, 2009

It’s the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour, Weekend Edition!

Heather Mann of Dollar Store Crafts offers up a nice, comprehensive post on the book today, and she interviewed me about how to make Kanzashi on the cheap.

I also love how she adapted one of the projects for dollar store materials! She took the Sampler Wall [...]

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Book Blog Tour Stop: Love Forever

July 24, 2009

The Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour continues today over at Love Forever. Kayte Terry interviewed me about how this crazy book project came to be (answer: quite by accident), and how I added my design eye to a centuries-old craft.

And, Kayte has a fun giveaway!

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Book Blog Tour Stop: A Little Hut

July 23, 2009

Today is the third stop in the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Book Tour!

Over on A Little Hut, Patricia Zapata has an interview with me, in which we discuss my earliest craft project, a brief history of the podcast, my advice to people who want a crafty business, and my crafty obsessions. I had lots [...]

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Book Blog Tour Stop: Lindamade

July 22, 2009

Stop #2 on the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour is Lindamade. Linda Permann has a nice glimpse into the book, showing some of the step-by-step instructions that my Mom photographed. She also shows one of my favorite projects: the Elegant Floral Gift Topper.

And, even better, Linda’s also offering a giveaway! Link over to her post [...]

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Ebook Review: The Punchneedle Handbook

July 22, 2009

All photos in this post are by June Gilbank, Planet June.
I’m so excited to see crafty ebooks becoming part of our landscape! June Gilbank (who you may know from Planet June) has just released a really cool one called The Punchneedle Handbook.
If you’re wondering what the heck punchneedle embroidery is, it’s an interesting form of [...]

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Book Blog Tour Stop: CRAFT

July 21, 2009

Okay, the Kanzashi In Bloom Blog Tour begins! Natalie Zee Drieu wrote a lovely review on CRAFT this morning. She also interviewed me about the book, my creative process, and future projects.

Oh – and, CRAFT is giving away three copies! So, link on over and leave your comment now! (Thank you, Natalie!)

You can keep up [...]

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Kanzashi in Bloom

July 21, 2009
Thumbnail image for Kanzashi in Bloom

I cannot believe I’m saying this, but today’s the big day! Kanzashi In Bloom is finally released into the wild.
Just one year ago at this time, I was working crazy long hours finishing up the writing and making. Let me tell you, K. deserves sainthood for putting up with me during that time.
Anyway, there’s a [...]

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Review: The Complete Guide to Wire & Beaded Jewelry

July 16, 2009

I circle back to wire crafting pretty regularly. Wire is such an intriguing medium for jewelry, and doesn’t require any special soldering or cutting skills. And, thanks to The Complete Guide to Wire & Beaded Jewelry, I can see just how many cool possibilities it has.

Clearly, Linda Jones knows her wirework backwards and forwards, and [...]

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Review: The Enthusiast

July 14, 2009

Something a little different today – a review of a fiction novel!
The Enthusiast isn’t exactly a crafty novel, although crochet does figure prominently in the plot. Actually, the back-cover summary had me at hello:
“Henry Bay has his own America going. If there’s an offbeat interest or extreme sport that’s poised to sweep the nation, chances [...]

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Digging the new Mixtape

June 30, 2009

Yaaaaaay, the new Mixtape is here! With each new issue, I’m more impressed with the beautiful design and print quality of this zine. And this is their second full-color issue!

Take a look at some of the goodies inside…

An article on selvedges by Jodie, creator of the famous Selvedge Frock.

There’s always lots of great eco advice [...]

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A classic of the (macrame) genre…

June 25, 2009

I’ve been enjoying all your macrame comments so much, I dug out one of my favorite 70’s books on the subject: The Art of Macrame. (ISBN 0 600 360466. Can’t locate it online anywhere.)

(Hope, this photo is just for you.) :-)

Before I go further, I should say that this book is an absolutely great, wide-ranging [...]

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Review: Micro Macrame

June 22, 2009

Now, here’s a fun one. As a child of the 70’s, I’ve definitely done macrame, but not like this!

Micro Macrame uses very fine cord and small beads to create intricate jewelry pieces. No hemp rope or potted plants in sight. Annika DeGroot has created a nice range of projects – simple things to get you [...]

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Giveaway! Geeking Out! The Art of Handmade Flowers

June 9, 2009

So, I reviewed this book a while back, but the nice people at New Sheer Creations sent me a copy to give away, and some supplies to make flowers with. (Thank you, Fe!)

Last night, I entirely redeemed a not-so-great day by diving into nylon flowers. Wanna see?

The materials are simple – I’ve made pantyhose flowers [...]

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Look! It’s the cover of my next book!

June 4, 2009

…Okay, okay – I’m only kidding. But that’s what Cathy said to me as she handed me this beauty: “Here’s the cover of your next book.” (Thank you, Cathy!)

But alas, my plastic canvas magnum opus is yet to be written.

Here’s a dose of 1974 magnificence to tide you over until then:

…Is that the theme from [...]

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Ooooh… Weaving Zines!

May 21, 2009

I’m in deep prep mode for Maker Faire, so we’re light on posts around here at the moment. But I did want to share these absolutely fantastic zines I just got from Su Mwamba.

Su is a weaver, and she wants you to give it a try as well. Her ongoing zine, Telaic Fantasy, is about [...]

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Review (and Giveaway!): Backcountry Betty: Crafting With Style

May 11, 2009

With Summer approaching (at least, in places other than the Northwest), this is a good book to have in your toolkit. Backcountry Betty: Crafting with Style is Jennifer Worick’s follow-up to her similarly-named outdoors guide for chicks.
Backcountry Betty: Crafting with Style offers up 64 projects made with materials you can gather in the great outdoors. [...]

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Review: The Art of Handmade Flowers

May 6, 2009

I’m a huge fan of 1970’s crafts (you may have noticed), so I was pretty dang excited when the publisher of this book contacted me. The Art of Handmade Flowers revives that time-honored art we used to call “pantyhose flowers” here in the US.
This book was originally published in China a couple years back. The [...]

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Giveaway! Chic & Simple Sewing

May 4, 2009

The Baby Doll Top, another cute design from Chic & Simple Sewing
Good news, friends – Potter Craft has kindly donated a copy of Chic & Simple Sewing for a giveaway on this here blog. (If you haven’t, check out my review below.)
To enter, leave a comment on this post and tell me why you want [...]

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Review: Chic & Simple Sewing

May 4, 2009

I got a sneak peak at Chic & Simple Sewing at CHA, and I’m so excited it’s finally out. What a tremendously useful sewing book for beginners!

Christine Haynes has done an amazing job of decoding the process of making garments, but more on that in a moment. Because I think the real genius of this [...]

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The (ebook) reviews are in!

April 28, 2009

So, my ebook has been out just over a week now, and the response has been better than anything I dreamed. If you’ve ordered a copy, Thank You!
Some nice folks have reviewed it on their blogs, or emailed me, and I wanted to introduce them to you. (And you’ve already seen the CRAFT review, right?
____________________________________________________________
Angela [...]

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Review: Fabricate

April 27, 2009

Oh, I love a good open-ended craft book like this! Fabricate, as you can see from the cover, is about manipulating fabric in interesting ways – and then making things from it. There are lots of beautiful projects here, but my brain has been spinning on other ways to use all this glorious sculpted fabric.

(Incidentally, [...]

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A rather frivolous Japanese craft book purchase

April 23, 2009

I bought this book during the Big Crafty Weekend. My practical mind wasn’t too sure about it, because essentially, if only teaches one project: this little crochet cat.

The rest of the book involves some insanely-cute photo styling, placing these cats in all kinds of poses. It kills me!

There’s apparently some story accompanying each set of [...]

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Review: Beyond the Bead

April 21, 2009

You might remember Margot Potter from the recent podcast about branding. This is her latest book, which uses mixed media techniques in jewelry projects. And I’m digging it on many levels.

First, I don’t dip into mixed media very often. I think the techniques make beautiful things, but I just don’t make many purely “art” pieces, [...]

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Review: Sewing Green

April 13, 2009

Just a note: this review is part of a larger blog tour that Betz White is doing in support of her new book. To link to the other entries in this tour, visit the STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books blog.

Sewing Green is the latest in what will surely become a large genre of craft books, offering [...]

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Giveaway: Sewing Green!

April 13, 2009

Couldn’t resist sharing another of my favorite projects from Sewing Green here!

Happy Monday, and Happy Tax Week! Let’s brighten the mood with a giveaway, shall we?

STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books has donated a copy of Sewing Green. To enter your name to win, just leave a comment here and tell me how you incorporate “green” (or [...]

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Another Tasty Japanese Craft Book

April 11, 2009

Here’s a new, precious Japanese craft book I scored during the Big Crafty Weekend. It’s about small-scale patchwork, which seems to be becoming a big theme in Japanese craft books.

I’m getting super enamored with this idea myself, since I’d love to quilt, but may never actually have the time to make a full-size one.

This [...]

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Review: Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase (And a contest, too!)

March 30, 2009

Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase is the first book in a new re-crafting series from Lark Books. (Go, Lark!) The intro chapter talks about how this idea was influenced by the online craft community, and the way we create these creative challenges for ourselves. (So, given that I’ve been talking lately [...]

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Review: Material Obsession

March 20, 2009

I’ve been showing my copy of Material Obsession around like crazy – it’s quickly become one of my favorite quilting books.

Before I start geeking out, you may already know that the authors, Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke, have a shop in Sydney, Australia and a great blog – both of which share the book’s [...]

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Review: Create Jewelry: Glass

March 16, 2009

(Before I begin, I want to thank you all for your great feedback on craft book reviews! I’m working on some new ideas based on your comments, which I’ll implement in the coming weeks. You have such excellent brains.)

In most bead stores, glass beads are pretty ubiquitous. So I wasn’t sure what to expect when [...]

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Super Deal on AlterNation!

March 13, 2009

I wanted to pass along a craft book deal from Shannon Okey (of knitgrrl fame).

She’s clearing out some signed copies of her book AlterNation, which is all about transforming your old clothes and thrift-store finds. You can read a review at Cut Out + Keep, and an interview with Shannon about the book over here.

So, [...]

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Perhaps a Museum of Neckties?

March 12, 2009

Oooh, I’m developing a serious necktie-collecting problem. Can’t walk out of Goodwill without another handful. (And the women at the checkout always give me this cautious sidelong glance: “What’s her deal?”

But the fabrics are so gorgeous! And there’s something about having just the little bit that covers the tie – limitation seems to breed creativity.

I [...]

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What do you want in a craft book review?

March 10, 2009

Here comes Spring Book Release Season! And I have a stack of awesome books to review for you. (Not these, by the way.)
But I want to ask you some things first.
Book reviews have grown more frequent on this blog in the past year, and I’m noticing that more publishers are cultivating blogger reviews. Let’s face [...]

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Review: Eco Craft

March 4, 2009

I first saw Eco Craft at CHA. The simple, restful cover was such a nice contrast to my visual overwhelm, I was drawn to it immediately. The book has just come out, and I’m excited to share it with you.

I rather think we’ll be seeing a wave of “green” craft books in the coming [...]

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Resource Roundup#15

March 3, 2009

Here’s a bunch of interesting stuff I’ve had saved up for you for a while:

The folks at Foldplay have a dandy online project: make your own Kalaidocycle. This is essentially a flexagon, but you can upload a few of your own images so it shows off your photos in a clever rotating paper toy. Go [...]

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Giveaway Time!

March 2, 2009

Today is the release day for Button It Up, the latest book by my dear friend Susan! To celebrate, let’s have a giveaway….

To enter to win a copy, leave a comment here and tell me about your all-time favorite buttons. I’ll take entries until noon PST on Wednesday, March 4th. Then I’ll draw one winner [...]

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Review: Button It Up

February 27, 2009

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! At long last, Monday will be the release of Susan’s newest book, Button It Up. And it’s adorable.

There’s a great chapter all about the history of buttons, which also encompasses extraordinary button shops and also how to make your own buttons.

And then, there are 80 projects using wonderful vintage buttons in all kinds of [...]

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Review: Stencil Me In

February 19, 2009

It’s great to see so many new stencil books coming out – especially, ones like this that provide tools and inspiration. Stencil Me In does a great job of showing off all kinds of new possibilities for this craft.

Bound into the back of the book is an envelope, filled with 28 plastic stencils. You can [...]

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Giveaway! Sew Darn Cute!

February 16, 2009

Pushkin says: “Hey! It’s a book about me!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, I have a copy of Sew Darn Cute to give away! (If you aren’t familiar with this fab book yet, check out my review.)

To enter, just leave a comment here and tell me about your favorite cute things. I’ll draw a winner at [...]

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Review: Sew Darn Cute

February 12, 2009

Sew Darn Cute lands at precisely the right moment – in these gray winter days, it’s a lovely dose of soft, Springlike color.

I have to say that this book comes closer than any other US craft book I’ve seen to resembling the aesthetic of a Japanese craft book. (I hope the trend continues.) The simplicity [...]

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CRAFT and Transition

February 11, 2009

Many of you have already heard this news: CRAFT Magazine has decided to stop publishing in print. Instead, they’ll become an entirely online publication.

While I’ll miss my favorite print mag, I am very excited about the future of CRAFT online. I think the team over there is very dedicated and savvy, and we’ll see awesome [...]

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CRAFT 10 Has Landed!

February 9, 2009

The new issue of CRAFT is out, and as always, it’s crazy-packed with good things. The theme for this issue is celebration, and what a fitting cover model! Amy Sedaris also contributed a how-to for an ice cream-filled and extravagantly-frosted angel food cake. Plus, I want that dress.

As always, the challenge is to convey to [...]

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