HandmadeMN Giveaway - Cindy Lindgren

Congratulations to our latest giveaway winner! Thanks to all who entered and we wish you good luck with this week's giveaway!

Today we bring you this beautiful set of Poppy notecards from illustrator Cindy Lindgren!


Poppies are nostalgic in the sense of their history not only in gardens and in textile designs but in their association with Veterans. They seem to say, "Remember me." Their distinctive flower head is easily recognizable and hard to forget. There are 2 designs in the set, one of a red and orange Poppy trio and one of an orange and cream Poppy pattern, both drawn in a flat graphic style.

These notecards are 5-1/4" x 3-3/4" printed on a high quality uncoated stock with a matching white envelope. They are blank inside so you may add your own message. They are individually packaged in acid free sleeves. These would make an excellent gift, or an elegant addition to your stationery collection.

How to Enter:
Visit Cindy's shop, pick your favorite item and leave a comment on this post about it. (Scroll to bottom of post and click on Comments, or just click here.)

Open to US residents Only.

Please make sure we have a way to contact you!

For Bonus Entries:
Please leave each in a separate comment, as each comment is an entry (To qualify for extra entries you must do step one above).

1. Visit other HandmadeMN team members shops (listed in the sidebar here) and leave a comment(s) here with your favorite pieces.

2. Blog about this giveaway with a visible link back to this posting and comment here with a link to your post.

3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment(s) with a link to your tweet(s).

4. Follow our blog (you want to do this anyway to learn about upcoming giveaways!). Leave a comment here letting us know you are a follower. If you are already a follower, leave a comment anyway, as each comment is an entry.

5. Follow HandmadeMN on Twitter. Comment back here with your Twitter link. Existing followers just leave your Twitter link here.

6. Become a HandmadeMN Facebook Fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

7. Become Cindy's Facebook Fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.


Contest ends Saturday, February 13, at 12:00 noon Central. One winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Good luck!

HandmadeMN members are not eligible to win.

WIP: American Indian Free Spirit and others


Just a quick look at my latest WIP"s (work-in-progress). I've been wanting to do an American Indian Free Spirit, and when Joyce was able to adapt the Fibre Craft pattern to make such a great outfit for her Scarlet, I wanted to do the same with Fibre Craft's lovely American Indian Princess outfits.

I had a lovely, lovely, Wool/Tencel yarn in jet black that is perfect for her hair. It is a Berroco yarn called Lustra, and it is just that.

Winters Dawn is complete and awaiting her costume. I'm going to choose one that is availabe free from this site:

http://barbscraftbooks.tripod.com/barbscrochet/id254.html


So if you choose, you can make a doll just like the one I am making. Of course, there are several other American Indian patterns available, and Amazon has several for sale that are used copies.


I created two other dolls while I was at it, and plan to get them wigged before making the American Indian costume. This way they can tell me their personalities while I am crocheting clothing.


I used Vanna's Choice yarn for all three. The Caucasian dolls are made with Beige, and the American Indian doll is made with Honey. This yarn makes up a lovely doll, and is not quite as rough as the Red Heart Super Saver yarn.




This Mini is destined to be a little gardener for my Sister's birthday. I hope to create a little garden that she will be the center of. My Grandmother was a great garderner, and my sister has inherited her talent and love for growing things :-)

Fun Friday Finds ~ From HandmadeMN with Love

By Jenna Halek ~ Artistic Edition

From HandmadeMN with Love(Click on the image to enlarge)

Visit these HandmadeMN shops to see more:
Click on any of the names below
Second Row (Left to Right): ModernMeetsWhimsy, one9designs, birdfromawire, dmalia
Third Row (Left to Right): cayennepeppy, waternymph, XOSupplies, BathNBeads
Fourth Row (Left to Right): bearlovesbella, westernartglass, JustAnotherDay, catchastarcreations

8 Questions with...Regan Saunders

By Kat Lewinski


Meet Regan Saunders. Regan lives in South Minneapolis near the Institute of Arts with her husband and hamster Ziggy. Her immediate family is all in Minneapolis as well. She works part time at a paper store and also as a valet. Valeting used to take up 5 nights of her week but she's recently changed companies so that she can spend more time on her Etsy shop. You can find Regan on her Etsy store, Regans' Brain.

1. What types of items do you sell in your store?

Pillows, Paper goods, Headbands, and Vintage Items - Anything my "brain" comes up with!

2. Where do you get your inspiration?

Mainly from my husband, but really everywhere. I usually walk into a store, see something that grabs my eye and think, "What can I do with this?". Odd objects tend to interest me most and get my wheels turning. My favorite recent purchase is a faux fur Fox figurine!

3. Do you have a specific space where you do most of your work?

I have a sewing room in our apartment. I use a sewing table that my grandma recently gave me. It was one of the collapsible sewing tables that my great-grandpa used to sell.

4. When did you first start crafting?

I've been crafting as long as I can remember. My earliest memories of crafting go back to when my Mom, Dad, Sister, Grandparents and I used to spend a week at a cottage on Lake Minnewaska every August. I remember going to the local Ben Franklin and getting beads, yarn and other goodies. We would sit around making things throughout the week. I always loved the time we spent together and I know it influences me to this day.

5. Do you do any crafts or art beyond what you sell?

Currently I am taking my second photography class at the U of M. I also make things while working at the paper store.


6. What are your favorite places to buy supplies?

For fabric I love Craftyplanet in North East - they are also online. Currently I buy a lot of my supplies at JoAnn Fabrics, The Paper Source and Paper Depot, but I am always on the lookout for local shops that have odds and ends.

7. What is the best thing you've ever done to promote your etsy store?

Nothing. Seriously! Somehow someone picked up one of my pillows and put it on their blog. It was then re-blogged on multiple blogs, tripling the views I received on that pillow in one day! That was sort of a fluke, and I wish I knew of good ways one could promote their shop. I am hoping to learn a lot about promoting my shop from other HandmadeMN members!

8. What other etsy store(s) do you really like?

missbrigette's shop - She is responsible for my avatar!
thesmallobject
therunnybunny
lucyslocket
crankbunny




HandmadeMN Giveaway - Wynzia

By Toni of Wild Dog Studio

Congratulations to our latest giveaway winner! Thanks to all who entered and we wish you good luck with this week's giveaway!

Today we bring you these great little flower bobby pins from Dana of wynzia!



Three dainty 1" satin flower bobby pins in this spring's hot colors of turquoise, coral and fuschia. Wear them together or one by one, in a fancy up 'do, or with casual ponytails. So very pretty.


How to Enter:
Visit Dana's shop, pick your favorite item and leave a comment on this post about it. (Scroll to bottom of post and click on Comments, or just click here.)

US and international residents welcome!

Please make sure we have a way to contact you!

For Bonus Entries:
Please leave each in a separate comment, as each comment is an entry (To qualify for extra entries you must do step one above).

1. Visit other HandmadeMN team members shops (listed in the sidebar here) and leave a comment(s) here with your favorite pieces.

2. Blog about this giveaway with a visible link back to this posting and comment here with a link to your post.

3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment(s) with a link to your tweet(s).

4. Follow our blog (you want to do this anyway to learn about upcoming giveaways!). Leave a comment here letting us know you are a follower. If you are already a follower, leave a comment anyway, as each comment is an entry.

5. Follow HandmadeMN on Twitter. Comment back here with your Twitter link. Existing followers just leave your Twitter link here.

6. Become a HandmadeMN Facebook Fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

7. Become Dana's Facebook fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your facebook name here.

8. Follow Dana's blog. Leave a comment here letting us know you are a follower. If you are already a follower, leave a comment anyway, as each comment is an entry.

9. Follow Dana on twitter. Comment back here with your Twitter link. Existing followers just leave your Twitter link here.

Contest ends Saturday, February 6, at 12:00 noon Central. One winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Good luck!

HandmadeMN members are not eligible to win.

Fun Friday Finds ~ Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

By Jenna Halek ~ Artistic Edition

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say
Banana?
(Click on the image to enlarge)

Visit these HandmadeMN shops to see more:
Click on any of the names below
First Row (Left to Right): ChickaDeesigns, harvestmoonbyhand, rainydayyarnshop, MaryFosterCreative
Second Row (Left to Right): greensquirrel, Sbdesign, SuzAndRoo, turnarounddesign
Third Row (Left to Right): cayennepeppy, maryellenscrafts, appleberryink, notapotato
Fourth Row (Left to Right): pickleberries, sacredsuds, auntiebonline, musicalkitten

Mini Bed Doll

When I designed the Mini Free Spirit doll, I really hoped that she could easily wear the outfits that have been designed for the Fibre Craft 'Cindy' doll. I have a few of these patterns, some which are still in print, like the one above.




Here, Sarah is wearing a lovely 'bed doll' style dress crocheted from size 10 crochet cotton. The only alterations I needed to make to this pattern were: a size 5 steel hook (instead of 7) for the bodice and bonnet, and I added two additional rows to the bonnet.







Showing off her ruffled petticoat :-) The petticoat was crocheted with size 3 crochet cotton, instead of the recommended acrylic sportweight. I also took a little fullness out of it; a personal taste decision, plus I didn't want to spend more than a day crocheting it.






Next I plan to make a full size Free Spirit and try a couple of bed doll patterns, like Joyce did! I have an American Indian doll in mind for starters.


Enjoy the crochet!

Here is a GREAT idea!




The wonderfully talented Joyce has adapted an old Fibre Craft pattern for the original Free Spirit doll. Isn't her Scarlet absolutely wonderful in this outfit! And best of all, it is crocheted with worsted weight yarn :-)

Fibre Craft published skads of patterns for their 13", 14", and 15" plastic dolls in the 1990's, as well as for their air freshener dolls and Cindy (the mini Free Spirit prototype).

Joyce recommends using a size F hook (instead of G) and a soft worsted weight yarn (Caron Simply Soft). Other soft yarn choices would include Red Heart Soft and Bernat Satin. The bodice fit as is; the skirt needed to be shortened some (Free Spirit is 12 inches tall, these dolls were generally taller). The hat needed a couple more rounds to fit Free Spirit's larger head. Check the fit as you go; getting the bodice to fit is the most important part. Thank-you so much Joyce, for such a great idea; your doll is beautiful!

Need some patterns? Here is a great site listing free bed doll patterns, some are Fibre Craft and some are other very talented women making available their patterns:

http://barbscraftbooks.tripod.com/barbscrochet/id254.html


The link was a little cranky, a couple times it came back and said it couldn't find the page. Persevere! It is there. Most of the patterns have pictures, but a few did not. There were a couple dead links, but most of the links are good.

Enjoy a whole new vista of outfits for your Free Spirit doll. And, Joyce says the air freshener doll patterns fit Mini Free Spirit, with similar modifications :-)

So many patterns, so little time!

Is it Spring Yet?


I'd like to join Virginia in this meadow glade. Sit on the log and talk to the owl on the stump. Feed bread crumbs to the little mouse, and find out how the turtle has spent his day :-) Just don't pick the toadstools!

This little scene is all crochet, glued to a wooden plaque 6" x8". It is a little small, as I found out when I tried to get Virginia to sit on the log. She can, but the scene becomes a little cramped. The nice thing is you can make this any size you'd like. The patterns for this crochet scene are listed here, and on the left hand side of the blog page.

Stump, Log, and Meadow: http://sites.google.com/site/designbybethann/home/links/StumpLogMeadow.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Mushrooms: http://sites.google.com/site/designbybethann/home/links/Mushrooms.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Tiny mouse: http://sites.google.com/site/designbybethann/home/links/TinyMouse.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Tiny turtle: http://sites.google.com/site/designbybethann/home/links/TinyTurtle.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

The directions for the stump, log, and meadow are more like guidelines than specific directions. This way you can make these elements any size you like, and from any yarn or combination of yarns. I used Lionbrand Fun Fur together with Red Heart worsted and a G hook for the meadow with grass. The mushrooms and turtle are made from worsted yarn and a size E hook; the little mouse from fingering weight mohair blend and a C hook.

The tiny owlet is from Brigitte Read's wonderful Roman Sock blog, which is listed in 'Links I Love.' This is a wonderful, simple, adorable pattern that I've made many times and highly recommend. All of the other elements of this scene are out of my own head :-)



These little guys are just over two inches long (not including tails). Enjoy the crochet!

Officially Signed and Noted


Today I signed my contract and sent it to HarperCollins.  I know it might seem a bit late for all of that, but it took a long time to get the contract smoothed out.  In fairness to my agent, she had it ready for me to sign well before Christmas.  But silly me, I had some questions I wanted to ask first, so I had to wait until everybody was back from the holidays.  Yesterday I asked my questions.  K, as usual, answered beautifully.  (I seriously think I could watch K muck horse stalls and still think she was one of the most amazing people ever.)  And so today, I officially signed my life for the next few years over to HarperCollins. 

And now they can officially pay me.  Woot!

I also got some notes back from F today.

Now, I've been waiting for these notes for a while now, and I was completely out-of-my-mind excited to get them, no matter what.  I like revision--most of my published short stories are far, FAR different from their first drafts.  There are two types of revision, I tell my students.  The type where you come into the room and rearrange the furniture and dust the cobwebs and then stand back and admire the nice, tidy place you've made for yourself.  And the type where the contractor informs you that the wiring is shot, and most of the walls will have to be torn down, and before you know it a sledgehammer is swinging wildly through your work.  This is the part in all the home makeover shows where everybody has just a little too much fun destroying the old kitchen cabinets.  And after the dust settles and you've carted all the junk to the dumpster, you roll up your sleeves and start rebuilding.  When you're done, the place is at a whole new level of beauty, something you never even imagined before.  
  
I'm all about type 2 revising.  Really.  And I intend to have a good attitude with F, as in confident, hard-working, amiable writer.

But when I read the notes, I vaulted straight into wallowing.  Which I understand is completely irrational!  When I read the notes now, a few hours later, I see the genius in F's ideas, her expertise at work, making the story tighter and stronger and better.  She's not asking me to rewrite my book from scratch or cut something I absolutely loved or anything terribly drastic.  But for about an hour after I got the email I stumbled around our apartment with a sheen of tears in my eyes, nauseated and stunned.  I told my husband that it felt like I'd been hit in the stomach with a two by four.  He had the good sense to hide his bafflement at my odd emotional reaction and just give me a hug.

And now, I'm back.  Rational once again.  Excited once again.  Which is good, because tomorrow morning I am going to meet F in PERSON for breakfast!!!!

More tomorrow.

Welcome 2010


Happy New Year! I hope that 2010 is filled with joy for all of you, and plenty of time to make dolls and enjoy the crochet :-)

Virginia, one of the Mini Free Spirits, has a couple new outfits to share with you. She now has a T-shirt, and Overalls and a Jumper that fit over it. The patterns are here:

T-shirt: http://sites.google.com/site/designbybethann/home/links/FSMiniTShirt.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Overalls and Jumper: http://sites.google.com/site/designbybethann/home/links/FSMiniOveralls%26Jumper.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

And also on the left hand side of the blog page under Mini Free Spirit Patterns.

I plan on working on a diorama next; a small woodland scene composed of crochet, using either free patterns or patterns of my own design. It has been percolating in my head since before Christmas, and I'm looking forward to see if it evolves the way I have it pictured in my mind.

Books of 2009

So today I put together a comprehensive list of the books I read in 2009. This year I read more books, did more writing, and listened to more music than probably the 3 years before that, combined. My creative self was definitely awake and hungry.

So, here it goes:

Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
The Painted Veil, M.Somerset Maughan
Our Story Begins, Tobias Wolff
City of Thieves, David Benioff
The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett
Unplugged Play, Bobbi Conner
Twilight, Stephanie Meyer (after seeing the movie on DVD)
New Moon, Stephanie Meyer (had to read the rest, didn't I?)
Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer,
Breaking Dawn, Stephanie Meyer
Graceling, Kristin Cashore
Eternal, Cynthia Leitrich Smith (after I started my book, I started to read the other angel-related books out there, for research)
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray
Kissed by an Angel, Elizabeth Chandler
Harvesting the Heart, Jodi Picoult
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Neffeneger (reread)
The Myth of You and Me, Leah Stuart
Wild Ink: How to Write Fiction for Young Adults, Victoria Hanley
Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel, K.L. Going
Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv
Vampire Academy Series, Richelle Mead (thank you Amyjo, for donating this collection to me)
Angel, Cliff McNish
The Fallen, Thomas Sniegovski
Negotiating a Book Contract, Mark L. Levine (read the day I got the book deal offer from HarperCollins!)
Impossible, Nancy Werlin

Books I read on Kindle: (I got this is June, as a birthday present from my dad, and instantly fell in love. It threw open the doors, WAY, WAY open, to reading. It also busted our budget on books.)

The Host, Stephanie Meyer
The Book of Enoch (all the cool people are reading it)
Marley and Me, John Grogan (reread)
On Writing, Stephen King (reread)
Emotional Life of a Toddler, Alicia Lieberman
Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris
Rebel Angels, Libba Bray
Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr
Scream Free Parenting, Hal Edward Runkel (can you tell I have a toddler?)
The Shack, William P. Young
Anne Shirley Series, L.M. Montgomery (reread—all one file in Kindle! sent me back to the early days)
Grave Sight, Charlaine Harris
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (reread)
Marked (House of Night) P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Evermore, Alyson Noel
Little Women, Louisa Mae Alcott (reread)
The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
The City of Ember, Jeanne Duprau
The People of Sparks, Jeanne Duprau
The Prophet of Yonwood, Jeanne Duprau
The Diamond of Darkhold, Jeanne Duprau
Playful Parenting, Lawrence J. Cohen
The Angel Experiment, James Patterson
Cirque Du Freak #1, Darren Shan
Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires), Rachel Caine
Wings, Aprilynne Pike
Bird Eating Bird, Kristin Naca
Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick
Meridian, Amber Kizer
The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity, Lissa Warren
Shiver, Maggie Steifvater
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan
City of Bones, Cassandra Clare
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Prom Nights from Hell, Meg Cabot and others
Wake, Lisa McMann
Bones of Faerie, Janni Lee Simner
Fallen, Lauren Kate
Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
What Happened to Cass McBride, Gail Giles
The Summoning, Kelley Armstrong
The Maze Runner, James Dashner
Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates
The Luxe, Anna Godbersen
Switch, Carol Snow

That's just shy of 70 books, not to mention the loads of samples I read on Kindle that I was too poor to buy! If I had the pick absolute favorites, I'd choose The Painted Veil, which was genius, The Host, which was my first Kindle purchase and I didn't put it down for 3 days, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which had me up all night chewing my nails to see how it ended, and The Hunger Games, which I thought was pulled off just beautifully. In close second: Shiver and Wings.

Phew! When I look at the list I see myself curled up for hours and hours, lost in the world of books. Which was a wonderful place to be!