The Crafty Princess Diaries

Tammy Powley’s Crafty Weblog

October 19, 2009
by Tammy
1 Comment

Etsy Social Networking Lab

Twitter and Facebook are the two main social networks that I am active with. I also dabble in Ravelry and LinkedIn. Some of my time on these sites is related to my writing work, either by promoting it or learning from others in my network. Has it made a difference for me? I think so. Can it suck up your time like crazy? I know so! But I still think using social networks is a good thing as long as you do it wisely and don’t let it take over your life.

I saw that Etsy Virtual Labs has a social networking lab hosted by the LabRats this Wednesday (10/21) night. It will discuss using Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and other social networks to promote your craft business. If you have been thinking about diving into the SN scene to promote your crafting or are already part of a few social networks but haven’t figured out how to make them work for you, this might be worth checking into. You (of course) have to be a member of Etsy.com, which is free.

October 18, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments

Craft Bloggers Unite 10/18/09

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Linda visited a few quilt shops in Toronto and shares her finds.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi is starting a new quilt…this time featuring pears!

Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
Vintage Hankie Scarf made using the tutorial from the Indygo Junction book Hankie Style.

The Artful Crafter
Eileen shows you how to create a simple but festive Halloween cupcake stand from terracotta pots.

The Impatient Crafter
Madge is one degree from Martha! Check out her upcoming appearance at the Grand Opening of Michael’s in Manhattan!

Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love
This week Vickie launched her new PBS Parents’ column, Craft Apparent. Check out her first article, a how-to on making utterly adorable baby costumes, starting with just a plain onsie!

About Family Crafts
Follow these directions and discover how easy it is to sew a felt tote bag that is perfect for trick-or-treating!

Aileen’s Musings
Come meet Aileen’s friends Herm & Ethel (they’re baccck!). Download a couple of freebie e-postcards and send Halloween greetings to your friends!

Cathie Filian
Check out Cathie’s quick video on how to spook up China ball lanterns.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside went a little artsy this week with inside peeks into the books; Hope: A Collection of Obama Posters and Prints, The Daily Book of Art, Really Good Packaging Design Explained and 1001 Ideas for Stonework, but there are also tons of great Sizzix die cut applique designs made by the designers at Halloween Swap-o-Rama-Rama.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Connie has another inspirational pattern, this time with an abstract flair. The chart is easy – whole cross stitch and a wee bit of back stitch.

October 15, 2009
by Tammy
2 Comments

Sewing Sales Soar

According to MailOnline, a UK-based daily newspaper, sewing machine sales are up 500% for the Argos brand, and Singer and Brother have seen a 50% increase in sales: “In this new make-do-and-mend world, the rise of SIY (sew-ityourself) is a sign of the times, with people clamouring to join courses in sewing and garment design around the country.”

I have to admit that I’m not really surprised by this news that sewing machines are hitting an all time high in sales lately. Thinking of attempting a sewing-related book this past summer, I did some research on it and realized that sewing was seeing a rebirth in many ways and that this is a huge area for crafters like myself to step in and grab some great writing and stitching opportunities. For various reasons, my sewing book is on hold right now, but once the timing is right for me, I plan to shop the proposal around again.

If you are a stitcher looking for a professional crafting niche, mark my words: sew it!

October 14, 2009
by Tammy
3 Comments

Dig the Dog Blanket!

Voila, the dog blanket is finally finished! As you can see, I basically just made a really large granny square. I used three different colors of yarn. First a lilac, then I think it’s called “water color” for the variegated yarn, then sage (which looks more of a green in the picture…I guess due to the flash on my camera), and then I trimmed it with more lilac. The boys love it and are working hard at breaking it in so it is as comfortable as their other blanket.

Since finishing this the other day, I’ve been cooling it on the crochet because my hands have been acting up more than usual. Once I give them a break, though, I have my eyes on making the adorable hat on the cover of Drew’s new book, In All Caps. It is not cool down here in the least yet, but when it is, I want to make sure I have a cool little hat ready to wear.

October 12, 2009
by Tammy
2 Comments

Crochet a Pet Costume

No, this is not one of my cats, who would rip me to shreds if I even attempted to put something like this on them, at least while they were awake 🙂 This cat is modeling an adorable Crochet Candy Corn Pet Sweater designed by the DIY Maven, and you can get complete instructions on her blog. While she shows it on a cat, I can just imagine a small dog wearing this. I mean – how cute can you get! And it looks really easy to make, lots of double crochet stitches. What a great project!

October 11, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments

Craft Bloggers Unite 10/11/09

Cathie Filian
Kids will flip for this Halloween Punch and Witches Brew Punch Bowl.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside has a bunch of tutorials and ideas for an eco friendly rib bone Halloween decoration, a quarter circle mini journal/Christmas ornament, painting spotted eggs, and how to make mail art while out for a walk.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Stitch up some cute little traffic signs, including this warning sign design for your child’s play set or to decorate a jacket.

Mixed Media Artist
Think you know polymer clay? Look what Layl McDill can do with this material!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Win a fun prize pack in honor of Swelldesigner’s 24 Halloween Crafts in 24 Hours on October 8th

Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
See how I took a pattern from Drew Emborsky’s Fun New book “All Washed Up” for a test spin Halloween Style!

The Artful Crafter
If you don’t live in the southwest, you may not even know about this huge football homecoming tradition. Even so, you can still enjoy Eileen’s tongue-in-cheek directions for making the most outrageous Homecoming Mum Corsage ever.

The Crochet Dude
Drew has a great free crochet pattern for a creepy-cute Halloween treat bag called “I Want My Mummy!”

About Family Crafts
It is never too early or too late to begin planning a Halloween party, and you are sure to find something creative here to help with your planning.

Aileen’s Musings
Aileen has not 1 but 2 giveaways for you. Enter her Fall giveaway and download a freebie background while your at it.

October 10, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments

Halloween Amigurumi for Crochet

I know he is supposed to be scary, but I think this amigurumi Count Dracula is too cute. But, alas, what isn’t cute when it comes to amigurumi? He was featured in the recent Lion Brand Yarn newsletter along with a few other Halloween friends. Here are links to all three of the free patterns:

If you haven’t tried amigurumi yet, all of these look easier than most projects, especially Dracula and Patrick because they don’t require a lot of different colors of yarn, and thus switching back and forth a lot. Wanda’s stocking are striped, so those looked a little more difficult than usual, but otherwise, that pattern also only uses a few colors, which normally equates to an easier pattern when it comes to crochet.

October 8, 2009
by Tammy
1 Comment

Crochet Dog Blanket Growing

The dog’s blanket has grown. It is no longer small enough to fit into my regular little crochet project carry-all and has moved into my very cool Michael’s tote, which I got when the local Michael’s had its grand opening around here a year or so ago. I am now onto the third skein of yarn as well, so it’s a fair size; however, the boys say it is still not big enough. So onward and upward to outward I guess too! I may get this finished by this weekend. Then I’m thinking of….gasp….making something for myself!

October 7, 2009
by Tammy
8 Comments

New Jewelry Out the Door

I’m working on a new jewelry making book, and I have the first group of items, including finished jewelry pieces, printed images with required labeling, artlog, and CD, ready to ship off. This means my first big deadline is met, actually beaten since I’m about a week ahead of schedule. Yippy!

I know this picture is far from visually appealing, and that’s part of the deal when working on a book. You can’t show off all the fabulous finished items you’ve crafted for it. In fact, you make them, write about them, and then pack them off and say good-bye for anywhere from 6 months to a year, “Good-bye my lovelies, I will miss you!”

October 6, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments

So You Think You Can Dance Update

Last week I pestered just about everyone I know on-line asking them to watch the New Orleans audition episode of So You Think You Can Dance. My 19 year old niece, Ashely, had gone to the auditions, so we thought she might be shown. So this is an update for all those nice folks who put up with her aunt’s craziness in posting via emails and social networks about this monumental event.

No, her audition was not actually shown and she didn’t make it to Vegas. However, here is a very blurry image I pulled from the net of her during the choreography round. So that means she was on TV for about 10 second.

From what her mother (my older sis) and she reported, the auditions were a great experience. Everyone of the crew and cast were extremely encouraging to all those auditioning, and even her fellow dancers at the auditions were supportive of each other. The trip was something she hadn’t really planned on. She was home for the summer (she a dance major at BYU), and didn’t even have her dance gear with her. She ended up digging out an old pair of tap shoes she’s used in a recital years before, and they were painted blue. As it turned out, though, the tap shoes were a hit with everyone there. I guess they made her stand out a little. At the actual audition, she confessed to choking up some in front of one judge (Little C I think his name is), but overall it was a great learning experience for her, and she is seriously considering returning next year and going for it again.

This means all my web friends have a year to relax before they start hearing me babbling about it again!