Fun Friday Finds ~ Copper

By Jenna Halek ~ Artistic Edition

Copper
Click on the image to enlarge)

Visit these HandmadeMN shops to see more:
Click on any of the names below

Featured Shop - Palettepassion

By Sara of Auntie B Online

One of my favorite accessories is the scarf. They're so flowy and elegant ~ or hip and funky. They're even better when you know they've been hand-painted. Jodee does that, and her shop is Palettepassion.

She's got every color of the rainbow covered. Just look at this billowy piece of sunshiny goodness...

Merigolds

How about throwing this around your neck? It would be perfect with my grey sweater!

Lava

A really cool thing about Palettepassion is that the products are arranged by color. That makes your search so easy when you're looking for just the right shade for that one particular outfit.

Mermaid

Accessories like these will not only spruce up your own wardrobe, but they also make great gifts. Hand-painted silk scarves from Palettepassion would make anyone smile!

Crochet Lace for Dresses

I love crochet lace, and have many, many pattern books devoted to the subject. Crochet lace can make the loveliest little fairy dress, and so I decided to put together a tutorial to show you how to go from a simple length of crochet lace to a fairy dress :-)
Choose a pattern that would make a sweet dress, like the one above. Seven inches is about one-and-a-half times the waist measurement of the little Pocket Spirits.
Figure out how many stitches it takes to go around the waist, or where you want the dress to fit. These little dresses are short waisted, but you could make a dress with the skirt at the natural waist, or a dropped waist dress. Anyway, crochet a chain that will fit around the waist, not too tight or loose. For these dresses, made of size 8 perle cotton and a size 8 steel hook, 40 stitches was about right. Note: The chain is only used to give you an idea of how many sc stitches you need to work across the top of the lace to fit it to the doll.

Work 40 sc evenly along the top of the lace. If you end up with a few more stitches, or it seems too loose, work another row of sc and decrease a few stitches to get a nice fit.
The next row will be the armhole dividing row, and once you've got the armholes made, try the fit on your doll and see how you both like it :-)
At this point, you can embellish the dress as you like, long or short sleeves, picot edgings around the neckline, whatever!

A picture tutorial with more pictures and directions is available here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29184580@N04/sets/72157624472023381/

Enjoy the crochet!

Minnesota Hot Dish

by Cheri of From Out of the Cracks

Today we have a recipe from Jenni Thomson from RiverBird. Jenni says, "Here is a great summer recipe I got from my Grama Jean Thomson. She grew up in Minneapolis and loved to eat the raspberries her mom grew there. This pie is melt in your mouth delicious and perfect to make while the raspberries are in season!"


Lake of the Isles Pie

4 egg whites, 1/2 c. granulated sugar, 3/4 c. powdered sugar, 2 T butter

Filling: 1/2 pint heavy creme, 2 T sugar, 1 T vanilla, 2 cups of raspberries

Preheat oven to 275. Beat eggs whites in deep bowl. Beat in both sugars to stiff peaks. Smear large pie plate with soft butter and dust with flour. Spread meringue in pie plate to the edges. Bake one hour and let cool.

Beat whip creme add sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Mound whip creme in meringue depression. Refrigerate for three hours or overnight. Spoon raspberries over pie. Cut and serve.

HandmadeMN Giveaway - Modern Meets Whimsy

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 this great sterling silver necklace from Courtney of Modern Meets Whimsy!


He loves me... he loves me knot...

Enjoy this necklace with any outfit. Truly a every day kind of piece!

This necklace is made from a hand formed 'knot' that has been soldered for stability. The necklace is 16" long and has a handmade clasp. All components are sterling silver.


How to Enter:

Visit Courtney's shop, pick your favorite item and leave a comment on this post about it.

Open to US and International residents.

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 Courtney's Facebook Fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

8. Follow one of Courtney's blogs... Modern Meets Whimsy and Just Another Day Designs. Leave a comment here letting us know you are a follower.


Contest ends Saturday, August 7, at 12:00 noon Central. One winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Good luck!

HandmadeMN members are not eligible to win.

Fairy Wings!

A new pattern to celebrate one year (and counting) for this blog! It has been a lot of fun to share these patterns with you, and chat with so many of you about dollmaking and crochet.

The Pocket Spirits needed some wings, and I don't really like to stiffen crochet cotton, so I thought I would crochet them from wire. I used this technique a couple years ago to make some wings, but never wrote down the pattern...I just sort of winged it :-)

These wings are made from 30 gauge Artistic Wire, available at http://www.artisticwire.com/
Crocheting with wire takes a little getting used to, since it is rather stiff, and your crochet piece does not have much stretch. But it will also keep it shape and makes such a neat, lacy fabric. Perfect for fairy wings.

I incorporated beads into the crochet. Beads are easy to string on wire, but also may require a little practice to get used to crocheting. This is a simple pattern of single crochet and chain stitches. The pattern for the wings is here:

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

You can also find it along the left hand sidebar under Pocket Spirits

The wings are simply pinned on the girls here. When they finally get their outfits, I will permanently attach the wings to the Spirit.

Still, they look pretty cute in their birthday suits :-)

Fun Friday Finds ~ Butterfly Garden

By Jenna Halek ~ Artistic Edition

Butterfly Garden
(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): Trigo, Harmonia30, AngelEllie, LieblingDesigns
 Second Row (Left to Right): ljbe, mepottery, catchastarcreations, meredithdillman
 Third Row (Left to Right): mermaidsdowry, lillin20, RitasCreationsOnEtsy, christinebyhand
 Fourth Row (Left to Right): happypossum, MissBaccessories, waternymph, westernartglass

Hot summer days with no AC, and very few ARCs

This is turning out to be such an interesting summer, one adventure after another. At the moment I am back at home trying to survive July in southern California with no AC. I have bought all kinds of exotic and wonderful fans in the last couple of weeks, but haven't yet given in and spent the bucks for a bona fide air conditioner. We've been holding out and saving our money to replace on existing 22 year old furnace and have AC installed at the same time. Which is expensive. So we're saving.

I grew up in Idaho, where my brother and I used to clap our hands with glee when it was colder than 20 below zero outside, because it meant there was no school and we could go sledding. That's cold so nippy it freezes your nose hair. Cold that crunches under your feet. Cold, I can deal with. I'm a champion with cold. (At least, that's what I say now, although when I was back in Idaho last Christmas everybody started calling me a California wuss. . . must have been all that wussy shivering I did.)

I'm a total wimp with hot. So this last week, when it got up to the high 80s (which meant it was like 85 in my house) I was like a wilted flower. I panted. I complained. I bought numerous fans and set them to blow directly on me. I went to movies just to cool off. Which was really a drag, because what I wanted to be doing was writing.

Another thing that caught me off guard this week was requests pouring in for ARCS. Right now I am getting between 2-4 requests for ARCs PER DAY. This is really great, because it means that people are interested in UNEARTHLY. I love that. But here are the amount of ARCs I currently have:
That's not very many. 9, in fact.

So, for those of you interested in getting your hands on an ARC, here's the deal:

Please email me at my gmail account, not my Goodreads account, since then I have to filter everything I do through Goodreads. In your request, please include all the relevent information about your blog or website or review AND an address to have the ARC sent to. That way I do not have to email you back asking for an address. What I will do then is forward your request to HarperTeen. They have many, many ARCs. Please be patient, since it takes me some time to sort out these emails and forward them in chunks to my people at HC, and it takes them some time to sort through them too. I would LOVE for you to read my book! If for some reason HarperTeen decides NOT to send you an ARC, and you really, really want one and have all kinds of good reasons you should get one, email me again. I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, please know that I will soon be setting up a contest or two to give away some of my ARCs. And that ARCs will also be available on various ARC tours.

Also: I love interviews, yes, I'd love to do interviews and chats and guest posts, because I LOVE the idea of having real (and virtual) contact with my readers! I love talking about Clara and her world! (I'm writing LOVE a lot this post, sheesh. . .) But again, please be patient. I am still working out my schedule for everything, so if you've emailed me about an interview, sit tight for a bit and I promise I will email you back. Also keep in mind that the book doesn't come out until January 4, so it makes more sense for me to appear more often in the month or two leading up to my release date. And, um, after January 4, when people can then rush out and buy my book. :)

Whew. And that's all I have to say about that.

Fall 2010 Color Trends and Indie Crafting


Most of us have colors that are our favorites (mine happens to be cobalt blue) no matter what the trends are. But, whether we like to admit it or not, we are all influenced by what we see around us, and--as artists, designers, or craftspersons--it is important for us to keep up with trends in the marketplace.

The color palate pictured above is from Pantone. If you don't have the site bookmarked, it is well worth it. It has become the reference of many fashion and interior design forecasters.
I found this wonderful article by Angela Walters, a fellow Etsy seller Posy Moe who is also a freelance writer. The quote below was written for Suite101, but she also has a couple of wonderful blogs--http://pocketfullaposy.blogspot and http://quixoticphilosopher.blogspot.com.
Indie-minded people don’t purposely try to make things harder for themselves. There’s nothing wrong with progressiveness and technology. On the contrary, most creative people are very much “plugged in” in order to reach a global audience. Mindful people simply value some of the ideals, traditions, and styles of the past, intertwining the old with the new. They are remembering to reflect and enjoy their lives, even as they speed along. These people seek and appreciate artfully expressed authenticity and humanity in themselves and in their living environment.
If you are somewhat of an purist and idealist, like me, you might say that you are not into trends. For those of us who want to simplify our lives and be less consumeristic, we sometimes try to pretend that the "market" is a bad word. The truth is, however, that those of us who sell our wares are part of the market.


I love how Angela puts it, "Mindful people simply value some of the ideals, traditions, and styles of the past, intertwining the old with the new. They are remembering to reflect and enjoy their lives, even as they speed along. These people seek and appreciate artfully expressed authenticity and humanity in themselves and in their living environment." I think I need to that quote and put it on the refrigerator.


posted by Christinebyhand



July Challenge Winner

By Toni of Wild Dog Studio




Congratulations to Jodee of Palettepassion for winning July's HandmadeMN monthly challenge!

Thanks to all who participated in this month's challenge, and stay tuned for some great "Sunny" entries coming soon!

Featured Shop - Steampunk Vintage Design

By Sara of Auntie B Online

Today's featured shop is one created by a team, Connie and Tim. They specialize in watch parts and movements jewelry, but also like to re-purpose vintage and antique jewelry and hardware into jewelry pieces. These days repurposing is where it's at, and so is the jewelry of Steampunk Vintage Design.

Connie and Tim's jewelry has a definite vintage and Goth look to it. Check out these cool earrings...

Watch Dial Earrings

Here's a great idea - a gift for the guys in your wedding party. Piffle on those stuffy cufflinks at the tux rental place.. Steampunk's are something to examine and admire...

Cufflinks Wedding Set

I really like the look Steampunk jewelry has with so many metal elements. It catches the light and draws attention. What good is an accessory if it doesn't draw attention? This next item is a wonderful piece. To me it says Victorian Biker Chick/Dude.

Adjustable Cuff Bracelet

For some truly unique handcrafted jewelry made with the finest selection of vintage watch movements you must visit Steampunk Vintage Design. You'll be the talk of the town!


HandmadeMN Giveaway - PixieSpit

By Jessica of Clay By Clay

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

This week's giveaway is from Lisa of PixieSpit. Lisa is giving away this great yoga mat bag.



This simple yoga mat bag is made from a heavy weight 100% cotton geometric print in colorful lime, celery and cream.  The bag is 28" tall and has a bottom diameter of 6 1/2". A perfect size for a standard yoga mat. A cotton twill strap paired with cotton cord drawstring add to the simple, natural charm of this item.

Open to US and International residents

How to Enter:

Visit Lisa's shop, pick your favorite item and leave a comment on this post about it. (Scroll to bottom of post and click on Comments)

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 Facebook Fan of HandmadeMN. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

7. Become a Facebook Fan of PixieSpit.  Comment back here with your Facebook name.  Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

Contest ends Saturday, July 31, 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 ~ Wild Poppies

By Jenna Halek ~ Artistic Edition

Wild Poppies
(Click on the image to enlarge)

Visit these HandmadeMN shops to see more:
Click on any of the names below

Woodbury Lakes Art Faire

by Kellybot




HandmadeMN is very excited to be participating in this new event! The organizers of the Woodbury Lakes Art Faire extended a special invitation to us and there will be 35 members showcasing their handmade wares. Come check out the wide variety of wonderful goods including art, pottery, jewelry, cards, monsters, photography, soaps, glass, clothing and much more.

Woodbury Lakes, 9000 Hudson Rd, Woodbury, MN
Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, 11 am - 5 pm

Stop by and say hi!

A Drink from the Well: Chalk Pastels

This tutorial brought to you by Theresa B. of Egret Effects


A stamp is a stamp is a stamp, right? Wrong. There are all kinds of ways to make your stamps something special. One of the most cost-effective of treatments is using chalk pastels to turn a plain stamp into a veritable illustration. It’s the adult version of having a coloring book!

What You’ll Need:
Cardstock – a larger scrap piece and a smaller piece that will be the product
A stamp
An ink pad
A set of chalk pastels (available at craft and scrapbooking stores)
A blending pen (also available at craft and scrapbooking stores)



A Little Knowledge:
Chalk pastels come in a set of little colored bricks. The reason this treatment is so cost-effective is that you use such a miniscule amount of chalk per product. So even if you buy a set of just a few colors (a set of eight is $4.99 at joann.com) it will probably last for years, and if you splurge for one with more colors (this one, from stampinup.com, has 52 colors for $27.72) it could very well last a lifetime.


The blending pen is a really clever product. It’s a marker that has no color in it – just the moisture. The first time you open the pen it’ll be white, but as soon as you rub it in a chalk it will take on that chalk color and never be the same. Yet the one pen can be used over and over with whatever colors you want. Genius, really.


Step 1: Every artist needs a canvas
First thing’s first; you have to start with a nice stamped image. Plain old black ink always makes nice lines, but any color will do as long as it coordinates with the chalk colors you’ll be using. As with any new technique, you would do well to do a few stamps in case your first effort doesn’t turn out to be the masterpiece you have in mind.


Step 2: Tap on, brush off
You don’t need a lot of chalk. A few taps on the brick with the tip of the pen is sufficient. In fact, if you try to use too much at once the color will be really bold where you put the pen to the paper but then fade very quickly to nothing as you sweep the pen along. Then blending the boldness into the paleness gets tricky because the more you go over the same spot, the more the moisture of the pen will compromise the fibers of the paper. The result is uneven color, warped paper, and little rolls of fiber stuck everywhere.


Thus, tap the pen in your color of choice and apply to the paper with very light brushes, blending as you go. You won’t be able to cover much area, so just keep going back to your chalk as needed. Keep in mind that most chalk colors aren’t very bold, especially because they’re being diluted by the pen’s moisture. Also remember that the place where you put the pen to the paper will be the most bold regardless of the amount of chalk you have on the pen – you can use this to your advantage by starting in areas where you want more “shading.”

Step 3: Switching colors
Here’s where the magic of the blending pen becomes apparent. When you’re ready to use a different color, all you have to do is wipe off any excess chalk on a scrap paper. The pen will not really look any different because the color will have stained it, but you’ll know it’s “clean” when you can swipe it across the paper and it makes a wet mark with no color. Now you can tap it onto the next color without mixing!


Step 4: Wash, rinse, repeat
Even washing your hair isn't this easy. Use as many or as few colors as you want; your stamp is now a professional-looking embellishment!


Here’s what I did with mine:


Happy chalking!



Christmas in July - An Etsy Sales Event - Not to be Missed

by Jane of A Tranquil Nook

In the heat of the summer, what could be more refreshing than a cool Christmas Sale?

Whether you prefer to create your own home decor, clothing or gifts for Winter Holidays or gather fabulous finished handmade goods and gifts early to avoid crowds and frantic shopping this fall, Etsy's third annual Christmas in July Event is perfect for you. Shop early in the comfort of your own home, and most importantly Buy Handmade or Make it Now!

Twenty HandmadeMN shops are participating in the Christmas in July Sales Event with in incredible array of supplies and great gifts just waiting for you.

The sale runs from Thursday July 15 through Sunday July 25, 2010. Here's a list of participating shops for your shopping pleasure...


Accessories

Palette Passion
Hand painted silk scarves and accessories
Sale Details: sale section


Lolly Bop Baby
Tutus, beanies, bows, & more for little ones.
Sale Details: 20% off orders $30 or more (before s/h). Refund through your paypal account.



Bath and Body

Sacred Suds
Handmade Soaps with Soul
Sale details: 10 - 20% off select soaps

Bags and Purses

Crazy Busy
Upcycled bags and purses
Sale Details: Sale section

Bead & Charm Suppliers

Blue Echo2
Unique affordable fashionable hair accessories
Sale details: Free shipping for any order over $15.00. Shipping refunded via PayPal

Everything Else

Bath & Beads, Etc.
Bath & Body Items, Jewelry
Sale details: 20% off selected items (Christmas In July Sales Section)

Fabric Artists

zippityduda
totes, quilts, jewelry rolls, banners, runners, coffee cozies, wall hangings
Sale Details: free domestic shipping on orders over $35 that include a "Christmas in July" item (marked as such at the top of each listing)

Riyah-Li Designs
Eclectic Indie Craft
Sale Details: Free Shipping on Any Order


Housewares

My Little Chickadee Creations
Personalized tile coaster sets & Save the Date Magnets/Wedding Favors
Sale Details: Enjoy 25% off (discount already applied) select tile coaster sets

Jewelry

6 hundred Kisses
"New stuff with vintage soul." Repurposed handmade jewelry.
Sale Details: Free gift with purchase, Free giftwrap, Free shipping on purchases over $50.


Rivertown Glass
jewelry -new and upcycled jewelry, hair clips/accessories, wine glass markers, cards
Sale Details: Items in Christmas in July section are 20% off

Wild Dog Studio
Fun, stylish jewelry for every day.
Sale Details: Free Shipping on any order


Wild Apple Design
bottle cap beads, lampwork and crystal earrings, necklaces, pendants
Sale Details: Free shipping!

KomfyKozy
Jewelry- sterling silver, crystals, glass and semi precious stones
Sale Details: Free shipping on items marked "CIJ" or "Christmas In July" to US, Canada and Mexico. Other International destinations have a reduced shipping rate.

Everyday Elegant
Handcrafted jewelry to make you elegant everyday
Sale Details: 20% off Entire Shop Use Code XMAS & Free Shipping on Current Sales Section


Mixed Media Artists

Catch-A-Star Creations
suncatchers, mobiles, misc window decor
Sale Details: Free Shipping on any order over $15 (to be refunded after purchase)


Egret Effects
Dreamcatchers, jewelry, knitted items, and more
Sale Details: Free Shipping!

Paper Artists

ScrapAddict
Scrapbook page kits, nature journals & greeting cards
Sale Details:See the special BOGO Christmas In July section in my shop


TC Witchcraft Factory
Scrapbooks, Papercraft, Handcarved Stamps and more
Sale Details:Items in Christmas in July section are 20% off

Photography

Mary Foster Creative
Flower photography, note cards, crocheted accessories
Sale Details:Free shipping on any item over $10

Tools and Supplies

Felt Sew Crafty
Sewing Patterns, Kits, Finished Handicrafts
Sale Details:Free shipping on orders over $25
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