January 3, 2013
by Tammy
14 Comments

Jan. 2013 Giveaway

For January 2013, you get a chance to win a wonderful new book that focuses on a specific bead weaving stitch. It’s called I Can Herringbone and is written by Melissa Grakowsky. I reviewed it over on About.com, so you can read details about what is in the book here.

This giveaway is available to anyone living in the continental US. To get a chance to win a copy of this book, just answer the question below in the comments:

What is it about bead weaving that appeals to you?

Post your comment only once in this blog entry and you will get a chance to win. The deadline for entry is January 31, 2013 midnight ET. Then during the first few days of the next month, I will randomly pick one winner. Make sure to include your email address when commenting. I will email the winner who will have 5 days after the drawing to reply back with a mailing address. Anyone who does not reply after 5 days will no longer be eligible to win, and I will draw a new winner.

January 2, 2013
by Tammy
0 comments

Dec. 2012 Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Emily! She is the winner of the Crafty Princess Diaries December Giveaway, which includes a free copy of the e-book The Fine Art of Shameless Self-Promotion written by Margot Potter.

Look for news about January’s giveaway, and hey, if there are any vendors or designer out there interested in participating in my monthly giveaways, feel free to contact me.

January 1, 2013
by Tammy
0 comments

Crochet Dude’s Stitch Markers – Thumbs Up

With all the amigurumi I have been making, this means counting stitches a lot, and of course, this also means using stitch markers. While for larger areas of crochet, I prefer locking stitch markers; when making small items like limbs for a stuff animal, I find the locking markers to be a bit of a pain to take on and off constantly. I pulled out these little flexible stitch markers sent to me by Simplicity Creative Group. They are part of the Crochet Dude line of products they distribute. I definitely have to give these the “thumbs up” because they are perfect for small items like this and are very easy to slip on and off but stay when you need them to stay too. It’s a little thing, but the right stitch markers can make a huge difference in the end product as well as the experience.

December 31, 2012
by Tammy
0 comments

Stacey Trock Pattern Sale 12/31/12!

I’ve really been enjoying the Woodland Animals amigurumi class I’m taking from designer Stacey Trock on Craftsy.com. Though I’m not new to amigurumi, I still feel like I’m learning a lot from the class, and I find her patterns to be very easy to follow. That’s why I’m helping pass the word on about a one day pattern sale she is having in honor of her birthday, which is today 12/31/12. She’s offering 36% off her patterns, which you can purchase through Ravelery or directly through her Freshstitches web site. The discount code is STACEYS30TH, and you can find out all the details on her blog.

Her patterns are pretty reasonable any way, so with the extra 36% discount, they are priced really low. I purchased 5 patterns (Cliveton the Tiny Pig; Choose Your Own Dragon Adventure; Owen the Monkey; Jeff the Valentine Dog; and Cliff the Brontosaurus) for a total of $16. Plus, since I purchased them through Ravelry, they are automatically in my on-line library over there. Anywho, I have no affiliation but am just a fan who has enjoyed making a number of her patterns.

December 30, 2012
by Tammy
0 comments

Crafting Links

ACreativeDream
Beer and pretzels… and caramel, oh my!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to make a recycled paper picture featuring text, a recycled box dollhouse and a recipe for a champagne cocktail called the Full Regalia.

How to Create a New Year Photo Calendar
A photo calendar lets you keep memories close all year long. Here’s how to design and bind one yourself.

L Thykeson’s Uniques
Santa came early, and some arty eye candy for you to look at.

New Paintings: Hey You
Cherie shares paintings and poetry.

Old Book Crafts
If you’ve got some old books, maps or antique paper around, you can make some pretty cool upcycled book projects. Check out the round-up of upcycled book projects at CraftFoxes.

December 29, 2012
by Tammy
0 comments

Here Chicky, Chicky…Amigurumi Chicken

The blue bird from the Woodland Amigurumi class I am taking was so easy and fast, I decided to make another one but this time using yellow and orange yarn. My idea was that it would look similar to a duck, but the finished bird looks more like a chicken. I tried to flatten the beak, but I don’t think it is flat enough. I still like the little guy, especially considering it took so little time to make. Now on to another teddy bear before I make any more birds.

December 27, 2012
by Tammy
3 Comments

Mr. Blue Bird

After making Teddy 1.0, I decided to back up in the Craftsy class I’m taking and make the first project, which is the chunky blue bird.

Don’t you just want to squeeze this little guy? He was super fast to make and ended up being about six inches high. I did a few things differently on this amigurumi than I have done in the past. First, I stitched the single crochet stitches in the back loops instead of both loops. I’m more comfortable going through both, but since this is a bird, I thought I’d go with what is suggested in the class and stitch in the back loops because you end up with some texture. One result of doing this is that you end up being to count the rows much easier because they are much more noticeable. I think I’m a back loop convert, at least when it comes to softies.

Another change I made were the eyes. Safety eyes are “safe,” but they are best for children over 3 years old, and since I plan to donate most of my future toys, I won’t know how old the children are who receive them. I ended up cutting circles out of felt and gluing them on. I need to come up with a method to cut more precise felt circles, but other than that, I like the results.

December 26, 2012
by Tammy
5 Comments

Meet Teddy 1.0

Because I had originally planned this guy would head off to Connecticut (see this post for an explanation), I had jumped ahead to the second project in the Amigurumi: Woodland Animals Craftsy class. The first project is a large bird, but I thought a teddy bear was a little more soothing than a bird. So here he is, Teddy 1.0.

Of course, like anything else I make, I can see numerous little boo-boo’s, but he didn’t turn out too bad. However, I’m moving back to the first lesson and starting over with making the bird first, and then I might make Teddy 2.0 and see if I do a little better with him the second time around. I’m not sure if he’s keeping the ribbon or not. I might have to dig around in my ribbon box and come up with something wider for him.

I’m loving the class so far. I don’t imagine I’ll get through all the projects before school starts up again, but I should get a few more made hopefully. There are a total of 4 projects (a bird, bear, deer, and raccoon), and each project gets more difficult as you progress through them.

I still struggle with stitching all the parts and pieces together, but Stacey gives you some pretty good tips for this, and I’m sure I’ll get better with time.

I always feel like some kind of mad scientist during this part of the process!

December 23, 2012
by Tammy
0 comments

Craft Links!

Knitting Patterns for Beginners
Are you just getting started with knitting? Check out this round-up of easy knitting patterns for beginners over at CraftFoxes.

Mixed Media Artist
Think you don’t have enough time left to make any decorations or gifts? Wrong!!

My Family’s Homemade Ornament Exchange
Cherie shows off some of the homemade ornaments her family has made in their exchange.

ACreativeDream
One of my favorite treats, candied ginger dipped in chocolate. It’s easy to make and a great holiday gift!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to make fabric covered pom pom trim, make a festive holiday container garden, a big ibook giveaway from the itunes store of awesome craft and cook books, and all about edible acorns.

How to Create a Cheery Folk Art Angel Ornament
Make several of these jute ribbon angels to represent friends or family members. You can even let the kids draw on the faces themselves; just be sure to date their art!

Info on my Workshop, “Embrace the Day”!
Never too late to join, and we would love to have you!

The Crafty Princess Diaries

Tammy Powley’s Crafty Weblog