Craftside

Nurture your creativity at the Makerie

Yesterday I shared with you a bit about an upcoming Etsy event and today I have some details about one of the events featured in the book Creative Pilgrimage: An Exploration of Artful Gatherings and Discovery of Innovative Art Techniques.

Makerie founder Ali DeJohn writes:

"The Makerie is designed to lovingly nurture the creative spirit in all of us and will feature workshops in crochet, embroidery, food styling, letterpress, painting, sewing, and photography. Add to that healthy organic, local food, yoga, hiking, inspirational evenings & we've got a fantastic weekend in store. Think summer-camp like setting + amazing classes ~ no errands, no cooking or cleaning ~ just a getaway to renew one's creative spirit. Held in Boulder, Colorado in April, the Makerie is a weekend to play, a place to find quiet, a setting to be inspired, a place to just be, a creative retreat for everyone!"

The Makerie creative retreat takes place Friday April 20th and Saturday April 21st, 2012.

Check out pictures from the Makerie Flickr group!

This photo of pine cones used to hold little notes (which I just love!) is just one little bit of eye-candy from the Makerie event featured in the Quarry book Creative Pilgrimage.

 

For more pretty inspiration and to learn about fun events all over the country, check out:

Creative Pilgrimage: An Exploration of Artful Gatherings and Discovery of Innovative Art Techniques

by

Jenny Doh

Join 14 very special artists on a Creative Pilgrimage as they share exciting projects that they teach through the various art retreat venues from across the nation! As they teach their special projects, we experience what it's like to learn from this celebrated cohort of talented artists. Hear their unique perspectives about the importance of teaching—a process where through sharing knowledge, they also gain knowledge and develop community.

To learn more about author Jenny Doh, visit www.crescendoh.com.

 

CHA Winter 2011 Author Make and Take schedule and 5th Annual Independent Handbag Awards call for entries

So the big industry trade show known as CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) is this weekend and there is so much going on! If you are in the trade and will be attending the big show down at the Los Angeles Convention Center please come by the Craftside (also known as Quayside Publishing Group and Walter Foster Publishing) booth #323 for all these amazing author make and takes.

Click on the image to enlarge and print out so you can plan all your fun. Or just come by the booth #323 and grab a schedule. And if you drop your name into the hat, you will be entered to win free books!

Also, do you make handbags and want to get them some exposure? Check out this ABC News video that includes information and tips on entering the 5th Annual Independent Handbag Awards (totally free!) with Emily Blumenthal, author of the upcoming book Handbag Designer 101.

 

Pop on over to The Handbag Designer 101 website for all the entry info.

Deadline for Entry: April 30th, 2011

And to wrap up this fun Monday post, I bring you crafty links:

Mixed Media Artist
Give your photos a delightful old-fashioned look, while still keeping the color!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
See how to make a flattened coil and recycled sweater bound journal inspired by the book Creative Bloom.

About Family Crafts
The current make-it-over craft challenge is all about making Valentine card and treat holders. Do you have a favorite to share?

Aileen's Musings
Aileen has a new product announcement and giveaway!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi uses some free digital files to create new cards.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy's done some crafty Valentine's shopping, wee!

Cross Stitch at About.com
The road to success is not an easy path, but the journey is certainly worth it. Stitch the free Road to Success Sampler as a colorful reminder.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Have you ever crafted by camplight? Come on a crafting adventure with Eileen.

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Learn how to make custom handcrafted ear wires in this week's video on demand for JTV's Jewel School!

And last but not least, another FABULOUS book and fabric giveaway over at Sew Retro along with a Q & A with Anna Maria Horner.

 

Craftastic good time at Unique LA and Crafty Blogger links

Unique LA was positively amazing! We all had such a great time making fun crafts and teaching the attendees of Unique LA how to make fun stuff! Thanks all for coming by the Craftside Make and Take zone and getting your creative on. Not to mention taking your picture wearing the World's Ugliest Sweater! You wore it well! Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Here are the Aminekos (from left to right) George, Stan, Rorschach and Jane Doe traveling in style in their Hello Kitty tote bag. I mean really, what else would do? The line to get in was practically around the corner of a giant building. But the giant Christmas tree in the lobby was pretty to look at.

Here's a quick pic of me and the Aminekos in place and ready to go just before the doors opened to the happy holiday shoppers!

A special thanks to Sonja, the woman behind the fabulous Unique LA event! She had a quick second to make a face for the camera in The World's Ugliest Sweater. Such a ham!

This was my favorite Ugly Sweater shot of the day. Is that mom and baby just the cutest thing you ever saw????

Crazy Ugly Sweater photos were not the only thing happening in the Craftside Make and Take zone of course! There were 2 solid days of crafts going on. This was just one quick shot I grabbed of Jeanine Stein author of Re-Bound, Cherryl Greene of Club Scrap and  Linda Swingle sharing crafty goodness with Unique LA visitors.

Thanks to our host, our craftinistas, and all who came by and got their craft on with us!

I should also share that the Aminekos and I went out on a photo safari and I will be sure to share photos the mischief we got into soon!

Now onto some crafty links for the day:

The Crochet Dude
Drew takes a walk down memory lane and shares why crochet and the holidays are forever fused together for him.

About Family Crafts
For your amusement, Sherri shares a fun spin on the classic 12 Days of Christmas song with gifts to go along with each verse!

Aileen's Musings
Aileen's going Christmas green and created a recycled Christmas card banner out of old cards she's saved. Check out her easy tutorial and make one yourself!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi celebrates the 50th Anniversary of a British soap opera with a new set of fridge magnets.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy is very pleased with how her new college crafting club is moving along!

Cross Stitch at About.com
Need some quick and easy ornaments or gift tags? Stitch up back stitch motifs in white floss on red fabric - simple and holiday-rific.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Not all projects run smoothly from start to finish. Read about Eileen's experience with a tote bag made from a kit.

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Margot's daughter Avalon whips up another FAB project for ILoveToCreate teen crafts! Check out her Blue Christmas card!

Mixed Media Artist
Have you heard of kirigami? Come and see how much fun this paper-cutting technique is!

 

How to ask good questions that lead to good design from the book Form, Fit, and Fashion

This is really interesting and I think just about anyone who makes anything will be interested in these questions for a bit of self discovery and help to think about how to move forward in a creative plan.

 

Click on these images to enlarge and read about the Socratic method and some really great questions that can help make a plan.

 

These intriguing questions are from the book:

Form, Fit, and Fashion
All the Details Fashion Designers Need to Know But Can Never Find

By
Jay Calderin

An indispensable primer for students and first-stop reference for professionals, Form, Fit, and Fashion guides the fashion designer through the entire design process, from conceiving a garment to marketing it.

This handbook collects the information and ideas essential to planning and executing fashion projects of every scale and distills them in an easy-to-use format that is compact enough to slip into a tote. Linking six central phases in the cycle of fashion--research, editing, design, construction, connection, and evolution--Form, Fit, and Fashion will help designers to develop effective strategies for building a cohesive collection and communicating their vision.

Jay Calderin teaches a wide variety of fashion and professional development courses at the School of Fashion Design in Boston, where he is also the Director of Creative Marketing. He founded and serves as Executive Director of Boston Fashion Week. Calderin’s designs have appeared in the pages of Vogue and Elle magazines.

What the different types of clay are and how to plan a business from the book The Potter's Studio Clay & Glaze Handbook

This book really covers it all!

The Potter's Studio Clay and Glaze Handbook:
An Essential Guide to Choosing, Working, and Designing with Clay and Glaze in the Ceramic Studio

By

Jeff Zamek

Every potter home enthusiast to the art center doyenne needs practical guidance on choosing and using clays and glazes in his or her work. Mastering clays and glazes is a feat of both art and science, and navigating everyday issues in the pottery studio requires an understanding of both fields. With The Potter's Studio Clay and Glaze Handbook, the art and science of ceramics is explored with accessible authority and insight. Whether choosing a highfire clay or applying a high-impact engobe, any potter's craft will be enhanced and inspired by this book.

Ceramics instructor and consultant Jeff Zamek (Southampton, MA) has lectured and led workshops for more than 30 years, and has developed clay body and glaze formulas for ceramics supply companies throughout the United States. He has written articles for most major ceramics magazines, including Pottery Making Illustrated, Ceramics Monthly, and Ceramic Industry. Zamek is the author of What Every Potter Should Know and Safety in the Ceramics Studio.

So you want to get into clay, into it now but want to learn more, or not into working with clay but like to know about it, click on the images to read all about the different types of clay, from earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, raku,and salt/soda clay.

This was cool to learn about for me because I collect dishes and pottery so I liked learning about what it was made from.

This part about how to plan a business and make a business plan was really insightful. It could translate into any craft, not just pottery.

Today's question:

Do you craft for business? Or are you just a "pleasure crafter"?

As always, leave your answer in the comments section and you'll be entered to win a free book.

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