Poppytalk!

Poppytalk Handmade -- Eco and Spring Market 2011, a photo by sassycrafter on Flickr.

I'm so excited that I was selected to be a part of Poppytalk Handmade Market this month! This month's theme is "Eco and Spring," and there are so many other lovely artists that I'm sharing space with.

For anyone who doesn't know, Poppytalk is kind of like an online juried craft show. Think of it as Etsy, only more tightly focused and without the items that inevitably end up on Regretsy.

So if you' have time, I'd love for you to swing by. Here's the link to my table:
poppytalkhandmade.com/table101

Executive chef apron tutorial

The executive chef apron that I sent off last July is now appearing in the Summer 2010 issue of Altered Couture magazine. Here are the details on how to make your own.

1. Start with an old men's dress shirt, either from a thrift store or from the back of the closet. Make sure it is clean and freshly pressed. Also choose two neckties that coordinate with the shirt, which you'll use later as the waistband and apron strings.
2. Slip the shirt onto a dress form and begin shaping the apron bodice. Use a dissappearing ink marker to outline the edge of the bodice and back yoke. If you'd like a tailored fit, also mark two bust darts. Also draw a line to represent where you would like the waistline to fall. Cut out the bodice, leaving a ¼-inch seam allowance along the sides and back yoke and a ½-inch seam allowance along the waist.
3. Sew the bust darts first. Then use bias tape to finish the raw edges along the sides and back of the bodice. Stay-stitch the waistband using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.
4. Take the bottom half of the original shirt and cut it open along the center back. Run a long basting stitch along the top edge of this piece and gather it to form the apron skirt. Top-stitch to secure the gathers. Then use double-fold bias tape to attach the bodice to the skirt.
5. Whipstitch the two neckties together at their widest points and hand then sew them along the waistline of the apron. Tuck a monogrammed handkerchief in the boday and you're set!

Now I'm off for a vacation in the Pacific Northwest. I'm excited because we'll be visiting a number of beautiful gardens, but I'm also going to carve out some time for some crafty adventures. Should be fun!

UFO Lamp

UFO Lamp
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

A little while back I made this UFO lamp for the "Retro" challenge at "So You Think You're Crafty." Now it's featured on Apartment Therapy's site OhDeeDoh.com. Yay!

I think it would be perfect for a little boy's room. And the best part is that it's made from simple materials -- plastic lanyard lacing and stainless steel vegetable steamers.

The clock is listed in my Etsy shop, so feel free to swing by if you'd like to see more pictures or get more information about it.

Cast your vote!

I'm currently auditioning for a craft competition called "So You Think You're Crafty." If you haven't heard about it before, it' s sort of like an online "Project Runway" for crafters -- "10 Weeks, 10 Crafters, 10 Challenges. Who's the craftiest? You decide." Very fun!

I've wanted to be a part of SYTYC ever since I heard about the first round. Now Missy is coordinating round two, and I'm one of the hopefuls. Stop by the site and cast your vote!

Of course I'd love to have you vote for me, but I can't tell you which piece is mine until after the voting ends. Just vote for whichever project you like best using the box in the right sidebar: http://soyouthinkyourecrafty-current.blogspot.com/.

And in other good news, my storage box tutorial was featured on Craftzine.com today. What an exciting day! Craftzine.com is one of my all-time favorite sites (though I do still miss their print version, Craft Magazine *sniff*). I guess this goes to show that my friend Emily was right -- I really should put more tutorials on my blog, especially if it means they'll get picked up by great sites like Craftzine.com!

Featured on FunkyFinds.com

Featured on FunkyFinds.com
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

I'm featured this week on Funky Finds. Yay! To celebrate, I'm doing a giveaway from my Etsy shop. For details on how to enter, visit Funky Finds.

And since this is my first blog post of the year, here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year! I know that I've got lots of well-intentioned resolutions:

1) Reorganize my crafting space. My old craft space was pretty messy and late last year I got the idea to switch my studio into a different bedroom. As if the holiday craft spree wasn't enough to create chaos! Anyhow, the mess is definitely out of hand, but I'm feeling at least a little better knowing that I'm not alone. Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club is vowing to clean up her studio by June, and Kristin Roach of Craft Leftovers offered some insight into how to make space for crafting.

2) Make healthy choices. I'll be following the age-old formula of exercising more and eating less. Maybe the Wii that I got for Christmas can help me get back into a regular exercise habit. I know that the hula hooping game always kicks my butt.

3) Blog every week. I was blogging regularly for awhile, but then I slipped into being a blogging slacker. This year I'll post every week, and plan to include many more tutorials.

4) Craft every week. This will not only help keep me happy since I need a regular creative outlet, but it will also mean that I'll have plenty of inventory to stock my Etsy shop and for the holiday craft shows that I do. And of course, it means I'll have more to blog about, which is a win-win situation.

What about you? Any exciting resolutions for the new year?

Tick-tock: Time to get moving!

Atomic Eggbeater Clock featured on TheKitchn.com
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

What a week! I'm so excited to say that my atomic eggbeater clock was featured on TheKitchn.com, a sister site of ApartmentTherapy.com. Woo-hoo! A million thanks to Sarah, the editor who contacted me, for spotting the clock on Flickr and deciding to feature it. Here's the direct link.

It's awesome to have exposure on such a well known national site, and my mind was reeling with the possibilities of what could come from this. I made sure to list the clock for sale in my Etsy shop, just in case anyone saw the blog post and decided right away that their life wouldn't be complete without one.

And adding the clock to Etsy brought it some additional attention. It was also featured in a Treasury page last week titled "Retro Kitchen."



I have another exciting venue for the clock up my sleeve, but I can't say anything else about it right now. Just keep your fingers crossed for me that it all works out!

In the meantime, I need to find a reliable source of affordable beaters so that I can produce plenty of clocks, both to sell on Etsy and at craft shows and possibly to wholesale to boutiques. I normally buy the beaters at thrift stores and on eBay, but the supply can be somewhat unpredictable. Brand new replacement beaters are easy to find, but they sell for about $15 bucks a pair. Ouch.

My clever boyfriend suggested that I contact the companies that make the electric mixers and see if they'll tell me where they get their beaters. Surely there must be some factory seconds that I could snap up for a song. My guess is it will take more than a few calls, but hopefully it will be worth it.

Get your junk on!

JunkMarketStyle
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

If you haven't visited JunkMarketStyle.com yet, go now. It's a great site that's packed full of creative ideas for repurposing old junk.

And lucky me -- my trophy coat rack was featured in their e-newsletter this week! Thanks to Ki and Sue for featuring me and for always being such inspirations.