Posted by hodge on 2006-05-13 12:51:03
Post Subject: CRAFTERNOON TEA - Sat. May 27 (Toronto)
Crafternoon Tea - Spring Edition (aka CT2)
Saturday May 27th, 2006
11am - 6pm
Bellefair United Church, 2002 Queen St. East (in 'The Beach')
WHAT: A hip craft & fashion market, how-to hive and charity tea-room all in one!
Expect over 40 local craftista-designers selling their limited edition merch at wallet-friendly prices (lots under $30). Spunky handcrafted jewellery & accessories, orignal artwork, quirky-sweet clothing, paper goods, organic soaps and lots more cool stuff.
PLUS: a stellar raffle, discount craft supply & fabric zone and sweet eats at the gourmet tea-room - all for charity - plus free DIY workshops & demos.
Admission is by donation - please bring $2 or art supplies for the targeted charities: Scarborough Women's Centre, SKETCH & Yard Sale for the Cure.
For more info and vendors pix, visit: www.nathalie-roze.com
Interested in volunteering, sponsoring or contributing in some way?
If you'd like to donate your time, unwanted craft supplies/fabric, baking expertise or new craft/fashion or beauty products (for prizes) to help support CT2's targeted charities, please contact Nathalie-Roze at: info@nathalie-roze.com
Posted by supercrafty on 2005-03-14 14:12:25
Post Subject: Craft Supplies Yard Sale Sunday 3/20 Los Angeles GREAT DEALS
The Crafty Girls and Boys of Stitch n' Bitch Los Angeles bring you their first ever
Craft Supplies Yard Sale
Sunday, March 20th, 2005
10 am - 2pm
1327 South Stanley Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Several members of Stitch N Bitch Los Angeles will be selling some of our vast stashes of knitting, art, crafting, sewing, craft and crocheting supplies. Many items are brand new and are priced cheap to sell, sell, sell!
Yarn - TONS of YARN!
Iron-ons
Picture frames
Fabric - Vintage and Brand New!
Beads
Magnetic snaps
Glue guns and sticks
Candles
Appliqués
Trims
Latch hook yarn
Buckram
Roll of piping/cording filler for custom cord
20 lbs. of bath salts
Essential oils to make bath salts
Several rolls of cording with lip
Feather trim & patches
Bolts of plain cotton fabric, velvets & vinyl
Sewing patterns - new and vintage
Plastic baby safety pins (shower favors)
Silk flowers
Silk bags
Purse handles
Make your own lampshade kit
Ribbon
Some scrapbooking stuff
Painting & drawing supplies
Stickers
Postcards
Pencils
Buttons
Vintage bottle caps - all unused
Craft Magazines - Knitting, Budget Living, Crafts Report
...and more!!
It will be great - don't miss out! See you Sunday!
Posted by albanyevents on 2008-02-11 14:02:31
Post Subject: Call for crafters - Albany NY Tulip Festival 2008
Albany, NY - The Albany Tulip Festival Committee is seeking crafters for the Craft Show at the 60th Albany Tulip Festival May 9, 10 and 11, 2008, outdoors in Washington Park, Albany, New York. Annual attendance for the weekend event is approximately 80,000.
EXTENDED application deadline for craft vendors is Friday, February 15, 2008.
Standards: Work must be original, handcrafted and expertly executed and completely finished. Unacceptable work includes: ceramics from commercial molds, cut bottles, kits. No representatives or stores representing artists or craftspeople may apply. No manufactured products or art and craft supplies may be displayed or sold at this show.
About Photos: Each applicant must submit 4 digital photos on CD. All images should be a minimum of 300 dpi, and sent as a .jpeg file.
Three (3) digital photos must be representative of the work you plan to show and (1) digital photo of your booth is required. The photos will be used in the jury process to insure the highest quality show possible.
Booth Space: 15'' long by 10'' deep
Fees*: $350.00 (booth fee) + $10.00 (jury fee)
(*Additional $10.00 fee applies if you are selling/sampling any type of edible product. You must include this fee for your health permit.)
To request an application contact the Office of Special Events:
Cathy Kosa, Vendor Coordinator
Phone: 518 434-5415
Email kosac@ci.albany.ny.us
For additional information on the 60th Albany Tulip Festival, call 518-434-2032 or log on to www.albanyevents.org.
Posted by stereoette on 2007-05-08 00:01:44
Post Subject: NYC - Attack of the Crafty SWAP thing this weekend!
Come join the New York City Craft Mafia for its first event
ATTACK OF THE CRAFTY SWAP THING!
A craft supply swap will be held Saturday May 12th from 12-4pm at
Archangela
340 Bedford Avenue btwn South 2nd and South 3rd
Williamsburg Brooklyn
Hopstop Map
Attendees will bring supplies of any crafting variety to be swapped along with the $5 door charge. They will then hand off their supplies, receive a large shopping bag, and be let loose to fill their bags with whatever wonderment of craftiness they can find. All supplies will be separated into categories for ease of "shopping". Anyone wishing to attend with no supplies to swap will pay a $20 door charge, there will be a treasure trove of goods to be sure! As they say, one crafter's trash is another crafter's treasure!
If you have any questions about how the swap will work, email us at info@newyorkcitycraftmafia.com
ALSO!!!!
The first 50 swappers will get a gift bag with swag from our sponsors, including Bust Magazine, Fred Flare, Craft: Magazine, The Fashion Journal, Greenwich House Pottery, as well as goodies from members of the NYC Craft Mafia and many others!
Details at a glance:
Who: The New York City Craft Mafia and YOU!!!
What: Craft Supply Swap
Where: Archangela, 340 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
When: Saturday May 12th, 12-4pm
How much: $5 with craft supplies to swap, $20 without.
Why: spring cleaning, recycling, make room in your craft area, take up a new craft, because its fun AND all leftover supplies at the end of the swap will be donated to Materials For the Arts !!!!!
And don't forget: Fabulous gift bags for the first 50 swappers!
For more info, Check out our website www.newyorkcitycraftmafia.com or
email us at info@newyorkcitycraftmafia.com.
New York City Craft Mafia is proud to be included in a larger Craft Mafia family, founded in 2003 by the original glue-gun packing mafiosas, the Austin Craft Mafia. The entire Craft Mafia family can be found at http://www.craftmafia.com.
Archangela, a shoe boutique, is located at 340 Bedford Avenue, btwn South 2nd and South 3rd Sts. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Posted by Countess on 2007-07-11 02:43:53
Post Subject: Crafty Supply Swap Fundraiser 8/07 - Seattle
Crafty Supply Swap Fundraiser 8/07
We’ve got one heck of a Crafty Supply Swap planned for you this time around!
We have local trading superstar Rosalie Gale of “bARTer Sauce” fame trading with us, Ginger from our fundraiser recipient Ginger’s Pet Rescue will be joining us to tell us about all the special doggies that need our help, we’re going to have a special networking table hosted by the Seattle Craft Mafia, and as usual there will be snacks galore! So join us for a fun filled afternoon of trading, networking, and snacking! And remember, we’re doing it for the doggies!
So… what IS the Crafty Supply Swap, you ask? Well it’s only Seattle’s funnest trading extravaganza ever! Remember when you bought a bunch of cool crafty stuff that you thought for sure you'd make into that super cool thing you had an idea for? But somehow, you never got around to making it. Now that cool crafty stuff is just collecting dust or getting shuffled from one storage bin to another. Face it, you're never gonna make that super cool thing.
So, what to do with all that crafty goodness? SWAP IT!!!!
Come for an afternoon of pre-holiday trading, chatting, snacking and fun!
What can you bring? Anything you've got!
Bring anything you have that you didn't get around to using and probably never will. Maybe someone else has something that you WILL use!
Help each other and yourselves by clearing out your old craft supplies and offering them up for grabs!
Have fun trading with other crafters. See old friends, make new friends, get cool stuff, and know that you are contributing to a good cause!
And speaking of causes, Ginger’s Pet Rescue (www.gingerspetrescue.org) is an amazing service that to date has saved 394 dogs’ lives, this year alone! Ginger specializes in death row dogs, those that are in immediate danger of being put down. Ginger will be on hand at the Crafty Supply Swap to talk about what she does and to answer any questions you might have. Ginger would appreciate doggie contributions of any kind that you can provide to help care for these rescued dogs.
bARTer Sauce will also be joining the Crafty Supply Swap this year with Saucey goodness for all. bARTer Sauce is a trading experiment for art and odd objects that was supposed to last one year -- but is already well on its way to year two. The basic idea was to start with one item, in this case, an old laptop, and trade it for something else. Then take what was gotten from the laptop and trade it for something different. And on and on and on.
Bring something you've made (or something weird that you want to get rid of) to the Crafty Supply Swap and trade with The Sauce You'll get a write up in the Sauce's weekly (or every other weekly) blog. All you need is the item, a witty (not required) story about the item or how you got it and the willingness to be photographed with The Sauce.
For more information about bARTer Sauce, visit: www.bartersauce.com. You'll find the items currently up for trade, a history of past trades and stories, as well as the rules for trading. You can also find Rosalie’s blog, where she occasionally writes up witty anecdotes about her trades, here: http://blog.myspace.com/Iloveunicornsmorethanyou
As if all this wasn’t enough, Seattle’s own Craft Mafia will be hosting a networking table just for YOU! There will be resource info, Q&A, and business ideas and info to help you with your crafty biz!
Snacks and beverages will also be provided to make the day just THAT much more festive!
Posted by stellagal78 on 2006-07-27 21:34:52
Post Subject: stoop sale: brooklyn, ny. craft stufff, books and more!
if you live in nyc, stop by my stoop sale this sat 7/29 (rain date 7/30)
cheever place b/c kane and degraw (cheever is between henry and hicks)
TONS of books, clothing, craft supplies, kitchen supplies, wall art, organization containers, dog stuff, costume jewelry, one yoga mat, and more.
i'll be giving away FREE magazines with contributions to rabbit rescue and joel's place for children
stop by or e-mail me with questions!
happy stoppin!
Posted by jan81 on 2006-07-15 08:16:15
Post Subject: My pet project - CraftMemo
Hello Everybody,
Over the pass few months i have been working on a craft inventory program to organize my craft supplies.
Like most of you i have hundreds of craft supplies from many suppliers and relied on MS Excel to organize my inventory.
After sometime i realised that it was too cumbersome to organize and find things in Ms Excel. I finally decided to write my own inventory system. I showed it to a couple of close friends who found the system to be useful and suggested that i share it with other craft enthusiasts.
I am sharing CraftMemo with everyone and expect nothing in return.
All i hope for is that you benefit from it as much as i did. Feel free to email me (support@craftmemo.com) any suggestions and feedback on how I can further improve my system. You can also check out the latest news and updates on my blog
I work full time as a software engineer and this is a hobby project I have taken up to occupy my free time.
I'm in So Cal too, Downey area. I don't knit that well but I'm into beading. The best place I've found to get beads and beading things (off the Internet) is Bohemian Crystal. They're in the Fashion District at 812 S. Maple Street, Los Angeles. Ignore the rude cashiers if you can, since you'll just be there to get supplies. The other employees are nice and helpful. I don't know this for certain but I think that they close at 1pm on Saturdays. They're not open on Sundays.
For other craft supplies, try Joan's in Torrance. I don't have the exact address but you can do a search online. This branch is super big and has everything (even bead supplies but these are still cheaper at Bohemian).
Happy crafting!
Posted by TheThriftShopper.Com on 2006-08-12 17:26:32
Post Subject: Thrifting your craft supplies
My husband and I just launched our website TheThriftShopper.Com. It has a national charity-driven thrift store directory as well as many other ways for the avid thrift shopper to interact.
I buy as many of my craft supplies as I can from thrift stores, and I know many crafty people are also thrifty people.
I hope all you Craftistas like our site..
Posted by april fool handmade on 2007-03-23 11:26:15
Post Subject: AD: Consign with The Stanley Family Lodge!
The Stanley Family Lodge
Consigning with The Stanley Family Lodge
If you are interested in consigning with us, the first step is to show us what you've got. Send an email to:
consignment@thestanleyfamilylodge.com
with your name, company name (if applicable), and a brief
description and JPEG image of what you would like to share with us. If you have a website with images of your products, feel free to include the url's for your merchandise instead of attatching photos.
If your merchandise is accepted, we will notify you promptly and you will be sent a contract that will outline the details of the consignment and where to ship your items. We consign at a 60/40 split. When an item that you have on consignment is sold, you will receive sixty percent of the sale price and we will receive forty percent. All payments are distributed on a monthly basis.
What We Are Looking For
We want to maintain a selection of high quality, affordable, environmentally responsible goods. Whether the items make use of recycled goods, are vegan friendly, or made from organic and sustainable materials, we want our customers to shop guilt-free and to feel confident that they are being responsible consumers. To get a better feel for the shop, these are some of the items that we are looking to carry:
- clothing and accessories constructed from organic/reclaimed/vintage materials
- organic and sweatshop free cotton screen-printed t's
- home goods constructed from organic/reclaimed/vintage materials
- vegan friendly bath & body goods
- organic and vegan friendly pet goods
- recycled and handmade paper products
- jewelry constructed of reclaimed/vintage findings
- vintage ephemera and craft supplies
- knit goods constructed from reclaimed and/or handspun yarn
- zines on veganism/vegeterianism/DIY ethic/environmentally & socially conscious issues
- artwork and prints making use of recycled paper/materials and natural inks
- and much more!
What We Are NOT Looking For
We will not consider items that make use of animals in any way. We will not accept items that make use of new plastics and toxic glues. We will not accept items that make use of new paper goods. Only recycled paper! We will not accept items that are not recyclable.
Posted by Fern Lady on 2005-04-20 19:11:38
Post Subject: Little felt flowers-- from my childhood
Have any of you ever gotten obsessed (just a little bit) with trying to find a craft material you used as a child? Happens to me a lot! My grandfather used to send me the coolest craft supplies from Switzerland when I was kid. They just don't make 'em like they used to in the 70's! So I am looking for these little felt cut out flowers that he sent me. They were really small...about a half inch in diameter, and they came with little cut out felt dots for the centers that were the size of paper punch holes. They came in all kinds of bright colors and were high quality felt...probably wool felt. I am dying to find some of these. I've done a few web searches and have turned up nothing even remotely similiar. Any ideas where I can find some?
Posted by peenkfrik on 2006-06-08 22:47:30
Post Subject: looking for craft stores in Duluth
I might be visiting Duluth, GA this month. Can anyone recommend a good craft supplies store located in the city? I will be travelling for my company and I was thinking of crocheting during my idle time. I am wondering if I can bring crochet hooks in my baggage. Does anyone have any idea?
Posted by amyspart on 2004-10-21 10:44:05
Post Subject:
I'm going to bump this up... the Park Slope Craft night is still on!
Still on Tuesday the 26th, but I'm going to push the time to 7:30... wanna make sure I can get home in time!
Come with your craft and we'll sit around and have a merry old time! I have a ton of felt if someone wants to take advantage of that, and I have a bunch of other little craft supplies too. I'm selling at the LadyFest WitchCraft sale, so I'll be finishing up things for that.
Bring a snack if you like, I'll try to make a little something.
Email me for the address, please!
Hope to see you,
Amy
Posted by waxfruit on 2005-08-19 19:32:15
Post Subject:
i am that friend!
i would love to take that off your hands. i have a bunch of craft supplies that i could swap with you. what are you into? if not, i could give you some money.
oh and i live in brooklyn.
Posted by Myrrh on 2007-10-11 10:18:28
Post Subject: AD: The 4th Annual Indie Collective Holiday Gift Guide
Crafters! Fill those bobbins! Cast on those stitches! Get your punches and papers primed – the 2007 Indie Collective Holiday Gift Guide is open for advertisers!
In this, our 4th year of providing a holiday shopping guide, the Indie Collective continues to support smaller independent designers, while at the same time providing the very best the indie design world has to offer.
We have more than doubled our directory size over the past year, which means there are even more wonderful gift ideas for savvy indie shoppers, and we want to help you show off your wares.
AVAILABLE AD SPOTS
Ads are available in the following categories:
Advertising spots are filled on a first-come, first served basis according to spot availability.
Each category will feature 4 (four) Platinum Placement Ad spaces, 8 (eight) Gold Placement Ad spaces, and 16 (sixteen) Silver Placement Ad spaces.
All advertisers will also receive a FREE placement in our Seasonal Savings section, where you can offer a discount to shoppers.
The Gift Guide will run from October 29, 2007 to January 1, 2008. We will also be showcasing each advertiser in our blog, IC Style, and those posts will remain on our website indefinitely.
For more information about ads and to secure your space, please visit http://www.indiecollective.net/giftguide/
Posted by sarabell on 2005-08-15 19:11:56
Post Subject:
there is (or at least there was. i don't know anymore) - "craftcorner deathmatch." 2 crafters are put head to head with piles of craft supplies. they are judged and then the winner goes up against the craft lady of steel. really campy and fun with a hilarious host. would have loved to been a contestant. looks like a blast. our wonderful jean was a judge on it, too. great show. unfortunately, it's only on the good cable, which was robbed from me quite a while back and i've been deprived of that show, and pretty much everything else i liked on tv ever since.
Posted by acebeader on 2005-12-21 08:41:21
Post Subject:
I'm planning something similar, but started it a little early. I'm trying to buy less, use up craft supplies I have, use up shower gels and lotions that I already have, etc.
What got me motivated towards this, is when I spent a decent amount of money on some beads, came home and already had them! I started cleaning and re-organizing some things, in the hopes that de-cluttering will help to de-stress and simplify things.
Posted by teagrrl on 2005-02-17 06:17:01
Post Subject:
Hmm. Of course I have to reply to a thread about tea. :-)
How about getting a mini chest of drawers, like IKEA's Moppe? (I have two of those for craft supplies) You could paint it or cover it with paper or fabric, and label it. The drawers alone wouldn't keep the loose tea fresh, but you could put the tea in small tins and place them in the drawers.
You could also get round metal canisters and make some sort of rack for them...like a wine rack, but smaller (unless you have a lot of tea :-).
I keep my tea in various tins, myself. I like the way they look. But several identical tins would look nice as well.
Here's some info about tea storage:
http://www.planetroasters.com/faqspics/Tea%20Storage.html
Posted by cam112 on 2007-08-03 09:47:13
Post Subject: Joann''s
I had the same problem this spring; I needed one to make my wedding invitations and had no idea of what to get.
After reading a few reviews I ended up getting this one from Joann''s
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat2824&PRODID=prd48503&source=search
and it turned out to be pretty good. I know it says $41 but Joann''s usually has pretty good coupons, mine ended up costing about 30.
Oh, I should mention that none of the Joann''s that I went to had it at the store so I had to order online...(wasn''t really disappointed, I ended up stocking up on other craft supplies :-P)
Posted by dancediva731 on 2006-09-29 11:07:04
Post Subject: free time at college-need project ideas
I'm seem to have a lot of free time at school. I've been doing a lot of crochet work and cross stitch but need some other ideas of things to do. Anyone have any ideas of some projects I could do that don't require too much material. I'm living in a dorm room so I don't have too much space for craft supplies. I've thought of scrapbooking but don't want to bring all my supplies there....I figure when I really want to scrapbook I can do it at home on the weekends. I can't come up with any ideas of craft ideas for some reason.
I am also looking for a small Christmas/holiday project to give as favors for a party. Something cute, creative but cheap. My family has a party every year and last year I painted the plaster ornaments, a couple years ago I made candy snowmen. We have to make around 75.
Posted by EclecticAnnie on 2006-02-21 10:16:20
Post Subject: Suggestion for new forum
What to do with craft supplies... I pick up supplies while thrifting or on clearance, but am not as creative as I'd like to be to come up with what to do with them. I also collect "junk" to make things out of, but can't think of something that isn't cheesy. I've read other posts suggesting that type of thing should have its own forum. Share-a-craft is the closest fit so far, but I agree it deserves its own forum. I'm so un-creative, I can't even think of a name for it!
Posted by textile_fetish on 2006-01-10 11:23:28
Post Subject: Re: vintage sewing notions
Oh hi!
I know I know, ebay - but it's so non-specific and people don't really cherish the vintage sewing stuff
bueno
Are you looking to buy or sell? I think you might be wrong about eBay. If you are looking to sell and afraid of not getting top dollar, do a search and sort by highest price. Look at how they are marketed. Those auctions, if done well, can get very competitive! I have bid on a few. The ones where the items are tossed in a box and photographed, also not described too well, tend to sell lower.
But hey! Etsy has a category for vintage as well as craft supplies. It is cheap to list, so it's worth a shot, too!
Posted by craftfetish on 2007-04-15 10:38:12
Post Subject:
Anything you'd like to acquire in return? I like random things (but I probably need to get rid of things in order to make room for more craft supplies too)
Posted by Countess on 2006-12-22 02:10:42
Post Subject: Crafty Supply Swap
Crafty Supply Swap - How to get rid of all that stuff you didn't use!
We've all done it, bought a bunch of cool crafty stuff that we thought for sure we'd make into that super cool thing we could sell, and then never got around to making it. Now that cool crafty stuff is collecting dust or getting shuffled from one storage bin to another.
Face it. we're never gonna make that cool thing.
So, what to do with all that crafty goodness? SWAP IT!!!!
Come for an afternoon of post-holiday trading, chatting, and fun!
Bring all your left-overs from holiday crafting. Trade with others!
Bring anything you have that you didn't get around to using and probably never will.
Maybe someone else has something that you WILL use!
Help each other and yourselves by clearing out your old craft supplies and offering them up for grabs!
Have fun trading with other crafters. See old friends, make new friends, get cool stuff!
Snacks and beverages will be provided to add to the festivities!
Date: Saturday, January 20, 2007
Time: 2:30-5:30pm
Location: Greenlake Library
7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N.
Seattle, WA 98115
$5 donation, 50% of which goes to Homeward Pet Adoption Center in Woodinville.
This is a no-kill, non-profit animal shelter dedicated to finding homes for the homeless.
www.homewardpet.org
To reserve your trading spot, and help our furry friends,
please send $5.50 via Paypal to iheartrummage@hotmail.com
Posted by happyhats on 2005-05-31 23:48:59
Post Subject: Spring Cleaning?
I never really did the spring cleaning thing, but it seems I have sorta fallen into it by circumstance. I moved a few months back, and had very little furniture, so a lot of my belongings were stacked (see-thrown) on the floor. Recently, in helping move my father and sister in law, I acquired lots of furniture as well as got my wonderful dresser back, and I bought my very own bed as well. So now it's clean, clean, clean and reorganize too. Here's my list of cleaning/redecoration chores. I thought it would be nice to hear what other people do, if anything, for spring cleanouts, or what cleaning/redecorating projects are being done now that the warm weath approaches.
1. get boy to hook up all of his computer gear and get it off the floor.
2. fix found bookshelf to make it more sturdy, and since it is storing extra clothes, make a nice curtain/cover for it.
3. Put up shelves
4. Organize craft supplies
5. Take down ucky blinds and cover window with rice paper.
Posted by teagrrl on 2006-11-22 07:30:11
Post Subject:
Interesting question. I have been thinking about it but haven't really come up with an answer, just that I like using my late grandmothers craft supplies because of the connection to her. I have yarn in my yarn stash that is made from wool from my grandparents' sheep and that my grandma also dyed at home.
I also like embroidery because (according to my mom) my grandmother had planned to teach me to embroider when I was little, but she never did before she died.
One of the reasons why I like weaving rag rugs is that the rags we have at home are mostly torn-up fabrics such as old clothes and my great-grandmother's curtains (which are incorporated into the first rug I ever wove, which is now on my kitchen floor). Making something out of those rags is like gathering memories.
Posted by Katrin on 2005-03-23 12:06:28
Post Subject:
It's not payday for me - but I did just get paid a nice stipend (a little more than I expected) for making costumes for the play, plus reimbursement for some supplies I bought.
I'm gonna turn around and buy more craft supplies. Now that I'm done with the costumes (or will be tonight!), I have time to make stuff for me!
(32 pounds for a camisole? Isn't that like $60? That's ridiculous! Go to the Gap, sketch the camisole, and then buy the stuff to make it yourself. :) )
Posted by HandMaidenNY on 2007-02-19 12:27:41
Post Subject: For NYC crafters
Hi there. I was hoping you would be so kind as to answer a few questions for me about where you get your craft supplies and such. I am planning a new space in Brooklyn just for you, so of course I'd like to cater it to your needs as much as possible. Thanks so much. If you feel so inclined to contact me directly through any of the websites below, please feel free.
1. What types of crafts fo you enjoy?
2. Where do you usually find the materials for these crafts?
3. What materials do you have the most difficulty finding?
4. Are you a member of any craft groups - if so, where does it usually meet?
5. If you aren't a member of a group, would you like to join one in the future?
6. Have you taken any crafting classes in the city, if so, where?
7. What borough do you live in? Would you travel out of borough to buy materials, or participate in a class or crafting group?
8. Do you have children? Is crafting something you do together?
9. Do you find it difficult to do the projects you'd like to because your apartment is too small?
Posted by wonderwoman on 2007-09-06 20:29:42
Post Subject: answer
1. What types of crafts fo you enjoy?
I enjoy knitting, decoupage collage work, making soaps, candles, cards, a little jewelry making...
2. Where do you usually find the materials for these crafts?
I have to drive all the way to queens to get to Michael''s-it''s the cheapest
3. What materials do you have the most difficulty finding?
Well Yarn and beads (jewelry supplies). Those I purchase online, mostly. It''s hard to get any craft materials at all in NYC at a descent price
4. Are you a member of any craft groups - if so, where does it usually meet?
no, Id like to join some tho...
5. If you aren''t a member of a group, would you like to join one in the future?
yeah, sure!
6. Have you taken any crafting classes in the city, if so, where?
no, I''m self taught.
7. What borough do you live in? Would you travel out of borough to buy materials, or participate in a class or crafting group?
I live in brooklyn. I travel out of my borough all the time for supplies.
8. Do you have children? Is crafting something you do together?
I have a baby girl, but she''s too young for crafts yet.
9. Do you find it difficult to do the projects you''d like to because your apartment is too small?
well, it''s hard to store my craft supplies mostly...
Posted by Athos on 2004-10-29 17:20:04
Post Subject: Craftivism:shelter for battered women & their children (
hey crafty peeps,
i've decided to make a donation this year to la casa de las madres, a san francisco based group that offers emergency services to women and their children escaping domestic violence.
i've spoken with the donations coordinator, and this is the information that i received.
they have women of all ages there, and children from newborn to age 18, so items of all sizes and colors would be welcome. they would take blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, gloves - all the standard handmade stuff. if you do not knit or crochet, you are welcome to sew any donations. machine washable is good, so is warm wool, but they are not picky and would take anything. you are welcome to wrap stuff if you want, but please put a tag on the outside indicating what is inside, and the size, etc. i also suggest attaching a tag indicating the fabric content, care instructions, and maybe a little pick-me-up message.
they are also looking for donations of art and craft supplies - fabric, yarn, needles, paper, crayons, hooks, glue, markers, etc. NO magazines, they already have plenty.
they accept donations year-round, but if you would like to have your gift as a holiday thing, they need it by dec. 17th. if you live in the area, i would be happy to coordinate a drop-off for gifts. i will be leaving for ohio on dec. 18th, so i would need donations by DECEMBER 11th to get them over in time. if you are not in the area, you can mail a donation directly to the center (address below). if you would prefer to send it to me, let me know and i'll give you my address.
any questions, please let me know. i know many of us are making gifts for our families and friends this year, and i encourage you all to find time to make a little hat for a baby or something else. the war against women that goes on every day (especially in this political climate) is something we can fight with our votes, and with our tangible support of women in need.
thanks for everything!
http://www.lacasa.org/index.html
http://www.lacasa.org/wish_list.html
About La Casa: La Casa de las Madres offers emergency residential shelter to battered women and their children while providing counseling, family-based services and referrals. Our Emergency Crisis Shelter has the capacity to shelter and support 35 women and children per night. La Casa's downtown San Francisco office houses our two 24-hour Crisis Phone Lines, a Drop-In Counseling Center, the Teen Intervention & Prevention Program, and the Community Education & Outreach Program. All services are offered free-of-charge in English and Spanish.
La Casa de las Madres
1850 Mission Street, Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94103
Posted by Dain on 2007-08-19 07:25:57
Post Subject: Plastic raffia
For years I have been trying to find this product I once crocheted with as a child. I always referred to it as plastic yarn of plastic twine. I have never found it. Yesterday, I was rummaging through the craft closet (open door, craft supplies fall on top of you) and came across some natural raffia. It occurred to me maybe I could find the product under plastic raffia. That is how I came to find this site, as Sarabell posted regarding the same.
Sarabell, I love your purses! I am looking for the product to make grocery bags for my friends.
Can you tell me where you find your raffia? I found an internet source for the product, but it is expensive, around $5 (includes shipping) for app. 100 yards. Since I am new to the site I cannot PM you yet and hope that you end up moderating ths post. If not, if the moderator could pass it along to her.
Posted by stella on 2006-08-29 12:40:28
Post Subject:
definitely get a dehumidifier! they aren't a fun thing to buy, but i spent the last year living in a basement and it would have been dank and moldy without the dehumidifier. it also much better for your craft supplies to be stored in a dry area than one with lots og humidity.
standing on concrete is not pleasant, so you might want to get a carpet or large area rug. you can usually pick up carpet remnants for cheap at flooring stores, and if you can't find one big enough, you could do a cool pattern. if you do crafts that are too messy for carpet to be practical, you could put down vinyl flooring or just get a few anti-fatigue mats for your work stations.
i use clear plastic storage bins for most of my craft stuff. you can see what is inside them, but everything stays neat and dust-free. i usually wait for them to go on sale, then pick up a few. it would be nice to have shelves that fit the bins, but i usually just stack them up.
lighting is also very important in craft rooms. you want to have light that is bright enough to prevent eye-strain, but natural enough that you see your colors accurately. in a basement, you might want to paint your walls and shelves white or a pale color to brighten the feel of the room, and install plenty of overhead lighting.
my dream craft room would have a large table to lay out and cut fabric, lots of light, a big cork board on one wall to pin up inspiration, and lots of storage.
ergonomics are also really important, especially if you spend a lot of time crafting. make sure your floor is comfortable to stand on, and arrange things so that you don't have to bend or twist to work. make an extra effort to protect your wrists.
Posted by soapandwater on 2004-06-13 08:16:22
Post Subject:
Whenever I get in moods like this and can't write or something, I either play lots of freecell (ugh, bad bad me) or hearts (I'm not helping the situation), or I do something very productive like cleaning.
Sometimes, though, you do really have to just force yourself to do something. In my case, I would keep journals so that I'd have to get something down.
But as far as artsy/crafty stuff, maybe you could keep some sort of journal about your plans to do somethign or other. I know that if I write something down that I'm going to do, I get so excited about it like it's the best thing to ever happen to my life.
It could be a list like:
*Buy boxes to decorate to hold craft supplies in: buttons, confetti, markers, altoid tins
And then on the next page, doodle. Or draw a sketch of some change in your house you want. You know, get all INSPIRED! Make yourself be inspired. I've done it tons of times. It's sort of like going swimming even though you're too lazy to but finding out you're glad you went, anyway.
Posted by Sewlittletime on 2005-10-08 10:07:27
Post Subject:
I think using the large closet space would be an awesome idea. Why not take stock of what your craft supplies are, and from there, you can figure out how best to organize that closet. You could build a craft table right in the closet and put shelves and bins overhead, for instance. Just leave a small section at the end of the closet for you guests to use, or even invest in a small armoire.
Wish I had a guest bedroom I could use for my sewing!
Posted by Diana on 2006-07-18 13:50:17
Post Subject:
Several years ago I developed some serious allergies due to all the painting, rubber stamping and other polymer pigments that I was continuously playing with. And at the time I had boxes and boxes and boxes of supplies. I ended up having a big yard sale, and then donated the remainder to the local elementry school. Now I do mostly needlework, sewing and quilting. Now when I need to do a bit of weeding out I send the fabric scraps to either a friend who teaches elementry school or to the local Boys and Girls Club. They can use just about any type of craft supply that you are willing to give them and put it to good use!! I try to head things off in the beginning before they pile up by not going in certain stores too often. I try to only allow myself one trip a month to my favourite needlework shop. While I seem to be doing fairly well in weeding out all the other un-used, un-necessary, and just un-real stuff in my life, the hardest of all has been the craft supplies--all that potential!! And I never met a piece of fabric that I didn't like!!
Posted by Spiderbite on 2006-08-31 13:33:31
Post Subject: Craft Supplies Forum!
I would like to see a forum specifically made to discuss places to buy craft supplies, where sales are, deals on materials, and the like. What do you guys think?
Posted by Liberty Gooler on 2005-02-24 17:03:10
Post Subject:
So some ideas about what I was thinking for this swap:
Themes:
Spring
Warmth/Sunshine/Light
Ideas for swap items:
tasty treats like candies or teas
springtime fabrics or
any kind springy/sunshine craft supplies
whatever crafty thing you make
Hmm, I'm a bad describer ... maybe a sample box might have some tasty teas for iced tea, a cute pitcher or glasses, colored pencils in springtime colors and maybe some crafty items like handmade cards or sachets.
I think a good rule of thumb, which worked out well for me in Valentine's Day swap is to think, "what might I like to get in the mail randomly" and fill your box from there. The idea I had behind the swap was it would be nice to get a gift to celebrate the coming of spring, and long light filled days.
I know I'm getting goofy with the light theme but its been raining so much in "sunny" California I'm really looking forward to spring and warm days of chillin on my balcony or the beach.
PM if the theme is still unclear and to anyone who sent anything to my yahoo account, I'll respond tonight.
Posted by happyhats on 2005-08-29 20:15:58
Post Subject:
Right now all my craft supplies are either in the bottom two drawers of my dresser, or in the container on wheels in the corner. It works, fairly attractively, but now I need to find a place for the rubbermaid tote (actually an old tote from Girl Scouts my MIL found for me) because our bedroom/bathroom is like our own lil studio (roomates) and we want a mini fridge.
Posted by slaster138 on 2005-04-06 14:50:16
Post Subject: nifty thrifty
There's also a Value Village on Hillcroft and Bellaire. Likewise, there's a fair bit of gross to it, but loads of stuff, and some steals if you're willing to root around. I bought a pair of Doc Martens there for $2! I had to disinfect the crap out of them. But still. Doc Martens! For $2! If you're in to make crafts out of 'things' vs. finding craft supplies then check out the Texas Junk Co. in Montrose. It's awesome and is chock full of random... well... junk I guess. Drawers full of old door knobs, hinges, rows and rows of old boots all manner of cool cast off items that are just screaming to be re-born as your fabulous craft-- and in the lot across the street there are all kinds of wrought (?) iron doohickeys and windows etc. I'm planning on buying one of the old six-panel windows and painting the glass panes for a friend's wedding present. Texas Junk Co. is on Taft Street between Westheimer and W. Gray. Good luck, and let us know if you find any 'hot spots'.
Posted by mystril on 2004-07-23 17:00:13
Post Subject:
They have them around here (NJ) and they are similar to the newer Michael's...pretty much general crafts, no fabric, but an okay selection of cross stitch and embroidery kits. They do classes too. Supposedly it's very hard to get into the Donna Dewberry painting class in my neighborhood.
There's an older Michael's around here that has a lot more "fine arts" supplies than craft supplies, which is why I made the distinction. Actually the older Michael's has a pretty good selection of pottery supplies too, as compared to AC Moore and Rag Shop.
Posted by boheme-anne on 2004-11-01 19:41:40
Post Subject:
I keep a craft journal for when my mind is busting with ideas so when I do get into a rut I have something to refer to that I wanted to do but might of forgoten about.
Another thing is to go to the coolest craft store you know but leave your purse at home! This always helps me because I not only get to see all the new pretty craft supplies, but I get to see the little demo examples that I stare at to see if I can do it with stuff I already have at home. Only probelm is that you end up seeing stuff you really do want to buy....but at least you'll think hard about it before impulse buy!
Posted by DJules on 2005-11-16 12:00:16
Post Subject:
I almost always make all of mine. I'm usually finishing up one or two on Christmas morning, of course. :) Money is tight, really tight this year, and while I don't really have money available to go buy gifts, I do have a huge stash of art and craft supplies. I try to do something that I can set up a production run sort of thing - everyone gets ornaments, or covered pen sets, or bookmarks, etc.
Posted by anjalouise on 2007-09-25 21:51:37
Post Subject:
Portland has some awesome places. There is a cool thrift/vintage store that has a lot of old craft supplies called Knittin' Kitten.
There is also Scrap, which has a lot of donated materials that you can buy for cheap prices.
If you like thrifting and have a couple hours to dig, the Goodwill outlet in Milwauke (17th & Ochoco) has $1/lb bins and lots of cool stuff.
The Fabric Depot is a really huge fabric place and has lots of good deals and cool fabrics, everything is almost always 30% off. Pretty good!
There are also a LOT of neat little stores and shops down on SE Hawthorne, Belmont & Division, as well as NE Alberta (the Alberta arts district)... plus delicious food everywhere including LOTS of vegetarian/vegan places.
Posted by Fenn on 2005-07-31 03:35:36
Post Subject: Be gentle, I'm new!!!
Hi - can I join in?!
I'm not sure if I'm putting this in the right place, but here goes...
I'm Fenn (in case you hadn't guessed!) and I'm from Shrewsbury, England. I came across the site whilst googling for craft supplies.
I'm 35 and live with my partner, our two gorgeous boys, a (currently mangey) dog, The Oldest Cat In The World, and three bantam hens. We also have an allotment, where we supposedly grow lots of healthy veg, but mainly grow weeds (and bury dead bantams...).
Under threat of having to go out and -gulp- work, I've finally decided to put my art college past to good use and am attempting to teach myself bag-making. So if anyone can offer hints/tips to a complete novice, I'd be most grateful!
I spent most of my youth drinking too much, not sleeping enough, and spending the housekeeping on clothes. Now I have neither the money nor the energy to drink or shop to excess, but I'm still sleep-deprived. And I still like nice things (although you wouldn't know it if you could see the current state of my house).
Posted by xuli on 2004-07-25 15:10:31
Post Subject:
I went to Wal Mart yesterday looking for cheap craft supplies (and didn't buy anything! I couldn't let myself do it! Yay!) and saw some in the craft supply section. So I'm not recommending Wal Mart, because they're evil, but if Wal Mart has them, that generally means that a less evil, equally accessible, readily available store type place will definitely have them.
Posted by Vigilantesjustice on 2007-05-13 23:15:01
Post Subject:
I have the exact opposite problem. I blow my mad money on books (craft supplies get a separate mad money allotment *grins*) and the moment I have them in my hands I read them. I haven't taken longer than a day or two to finish a book in ages, and then I am pretty much out of reading material until next payday! It's not that I'm incapable of savoring a good book, but most of the ones I pick up lately I can't put back down. Maybe I'm experiencing mal-lit-trition. Is there a supplement for that? ;-)
Corinne
Who only recently found the library in her new city. Joy!
Posted by Slinkster on 2006-01-26 16:32:41
Post Subject:
I am still working very hard at watching what I eat. I am losing weight.
I haven't learned a new craft yet, but I am saving money for a sewing machine and that will help me learn.
I can't really remember what all I said. I think I need to get organized, but I haven't done much towards that. (Except kind of organize my craft supplies)
Posted by sarabell on 2005-05-23 11:41:44
Post Subject:
since i have a crafty family (mom paints, dad builds and comes up with funky contraptions to meet his needs, sister is supercraftmistress), i've been doing crafty stuff ever since i could remember. then part of it was loneliness - didn't have many friends that lived near me growing up so i spent many-a-summer doing origami and other random projects..... finding raw materials to craft with is also inspiring, especially if they're not "regular" craft supplies, or i'm not crafting them to their "intended use."
needing a gift is often why i will start a project. other times, it's to alleviate boredom or just to try out an idea. currently, it's the two latter reasons, combined with a desire to make some $$.
right now i'm crocheting with plastic - plastic string, plastic bags, whatever i can find. i'm in serious production so the house has gone to hell.....
Posted by breewell on 2004-11-05 02:59:08
Post Subject: Cheesy craft supplies in NYC?
Hi there, I am having a bit of a problem finding craft supplies on the cheesier side (specifically googly eyes and mini coloured pom-poms) in NYC. Any suggestions? I try not to shop at chains, but there are times when I do wish we had a Michael's here. (we don't do we?)
Thanks!
Bree
Posted by danielepea on 2004-05-25 16:29:00
Post Subject:
When the roommates aren't arround I occupy my time by
-playing dress up in my room
-watching lots of bad TV
-making a mess in the kitchen
-sprawling my craft supplies all over every clear surface
I fear how quickly I am going to slip in to eccentricity when I start living by myself at the end of the summer. It's probably best that my building won't allow me to have 500 cats. hee hee
Posted by Athos on 2004-05-20 11:51:06
Post Subject:
i think it's great if *community members* post about their articles, businesses, etc, and i love having a section for that - it's all stuff i realy want to know, but what i think is obnoxious is when people are obviously just advertising (as in, registering just to post a link to their SUPER COOL SITE!!!!).
it's bound to happen, and i'm sure we'll get even more posts about sites selling craft supplies, etc, but in my mind it's spammalicious advertising and it's a bummer.
Posted by deborahthecraft on 2004-05-21 19:41:42
Post Subject:
i think it's great if *community members* post about their articles, businesses, etc, and i love having a section for that - it's all stuff i realy want to know, but what i think is obnoxious is when people are obviously just advertising (as in, registering just to post a link to their SUPER COOL SITE!!!!).
it's bound to happen, and i'm sure we'll get even more posts about sites selling craft supplies, etc, but in my mind it's spammalicious advertising and it's a bummer.
Agreed.That way we can also support those businesses that are of our 'friends' and from our 'community'.They also get usefull feedback from other crafty/indy business owners.
Posted by happyhats on 2006-05-25 10:25:00
Post Subject:
I dont have a craft space, per say, as much as I wish I did. I keep all my craft supplies in two dresser drawers and in one large trunk. It requires constant weeding to make it work, but I love my crafts. I'm thinking about getting a large pantry type shelving unit instead, and placing that in the dining room.
Posted by schnitzle on 2004-06-01 11:19:11
Post Subject: Making jewelry, beading, how to start?
I haven't stepped into a bead store since '92, but I have seen so many cool beaded projects lately that I want to try my hand at things again.
I'm kind of afraid to start though because I don't want to spend $50 on a bunch of beads that I don't know if I will use or what. How do I get a project together and just get what I need without creating a huge bead stash (I already have so many craft supplies I should start my own preschool!).
Is there a good way to start? I was thinking of making a cool beaded deal to hang my eyeglasses around my neck.
I know this is kind of a stupid question :) I just want a few pretty things...
Posted by alteredtome on 2005-08-27 12:43:29
Post Subject:
I know, it's so hard to meet cool, interesting people once college/ high school/being young and into the bar scene and such is over. I think that's why Internet dating has become so popular. I recommend craftster.org, too. I was able to meet one lady here in Colorado Springs, CO, and another very involved, cool chic in Denver through them. I still haven't seen either face to face, but it's a start. Also, I am totally jealous that you're in Toronto, cause I think their Church of Craft is still going strong:
http://www.churchofcraft.org/index4.html
I'm so grateful for the Internet now. 10 years ago, we would have been these lonely creative women, stuck in our towns with our kids, with no one to understand our need to craft. Now, heck, we've all got friends from all over the world, congratulating us on our efforts, swapping patterns, info, craft supplies. I love this crafting community, and am grateful everyday to have found it. Hehehe.
Posted by udandi on 2004-12-02 13:11:01
Post Subject:
I've heard other self-employed/telecommute workers maintain a routine by getting up doing everything the same as if they were leaving the house to work, even going out for 1 hour at lunch to run errands.
I rarely watch TV and I prefer to listen to music, but sometimes I put on a movie TV just to have background noise.
When I need to get motivated, I "shop" through my craft supplies and/or rearrange them.
Posted by alteredtome on 2005-08-25 23:59:43
Post Subject: 2 very cool crafting sites that I found today, had to share
I hope this is ok to do here. I'm not affiliated with either of these sites, so I'm not advertising for gain. I just thought you all might enjoy them as much as I did (especially an online place for cheap craft supplies). Maybe y'all already know about these 2 places, but I just discovered them, so I wanted to share for anyone else who didn't know.
1. Create For Less, The cheapest craft supply store I've ever seen....$10 alphabet rubber stamping set for only $2.87? Shut up!
http://www.createforless.com/homePage.asp
2. Crafty Pod, a weekly show put on by Sister Diane from over at Supernaturale.com. This week, she featured crafting 'zines, last week it was all things to do with pipecleaners. Great ideas and links to go along with the podcast. Can be listened to right in your browser.
Posted by kitchensqueen on 2006-07-08 19:49:24
Post Subject:
My husband and I also live in a small one bedroom apartment. Just off the bathroom, we have an open linen closet with shelving that we turned into an office/craft area. We left the upper three shelves intact, and that's where I store my craft books, speciality papers and binders. I also have some photo boxes and clear shoe boxes on the shelves that hold general craft supplies. My husband made a great desk to replace the lowest shelf. He sawed out a small hole in the back so we can thread the computer and lamp cords down to the power switch, which is plugged into the outlet around the corner. He also sawed out a contour in the front of the desk so that we can push a chair all the way in without it sticking out into the hall. It's really functional and holds most of my supplies and our office stuff. To hold my sewing supplies, I have a small 3-drawer dresser in front of the living room window stuffed full, and I use the top of the dresser to hold a planter of kitchen herbs. The top drawer is devoted to gardening supplies. It's not my ideal crafting setup, but for the space we have, it's funcational, and when we're diligent about keeping things put away and organized, it doesn't look cluttered or detract from the look of the apartment as a whole.
Posted by anjanetteopal on 2006-12-08 07:36:34
Post Subject: Decorating on the cheap
If for you moving into/renting/buying a new place means finally having
the freedom to decorate any way you'd please, you might be
fighting the temptation not to live beyond your means in order to
live surrounded by the kind of beauty you love and have longed for.
Fulfilling that dream of making your place home-decorating-reality-show-worthy doesn't have to be expensive. A little creativity can go a long way and be a huge asset to a tiny bank account. One way to save money is to use every day objects to add an interesting touch in unexpected places. Just adding a bowl of fruit to a living room coffee table or end table can suggest a sort of abundance you may not have in any measurable monetary quantity. Picking flowers from the garden or the side of the road on your way home from work and arranging them at home can bring comfort and freshness to a not-so-impressive (or impressive, for that matter) dining area. If you want to coordinate colors, work with what you have. Have an earthy
colored hallway or bathroom? Make a mirror or picture frame out of the lids to Starbucks frappuchino bottles. Seriously. Don't spend a fortune for something that may not even express your personality to your visitors if you can make something that does for less!
If you do decide to purchase more conventional decorating items, consider whether an item can be displayed in several places or in several ways to change things up a bit without spending more money. Flower vases are a great example. Not only can they be found cheaply at thrift
stores (everyone has a dozen lying around from flower arrangements given to them over the years), but they can suit just about any decorating taste. If you are going for a touch of elegance, consider buying vases that are or could pass for crystal and dress them up very little. If you're up for a challenge, buy more interesting pieces or paint the simple ones you find to match your theme. Don't limit yourself to flowers when choosing filler for your vases. Pebbles/stones, sea shells, fish (with water preferably), candles, writing utensils, dry cooking supplies like beans rice and noodles, potpourri, craft supplies like beads and buttons, and just about anything else you can imagine could add just the right touch to a room. Consider changing the contents, arrangement, or embelishments (like ribbon) of vases to match the season. A large vase with pinecones from the yard and $1 candycanes from the grocery store with a Christmas ribbon tied around it could make a beautiful centerpiece and cost you pennies compared to a decorative wreath and candle arrangement from a home design store.
So go ahead and go to the fancy home decorating sales, and look through the catalogs for ideas, but then stop and look at what is immediately around you. You just might be able to recreate the feel of that magazine page without any residual shoppers-guilt the next morning!!
Posted by Diana on 2007-10-30 11:21:04
Post Subject:
I certainly don't stick with just one project at a time. I admire those who can, but most of the crafters I know have several/tons going all at once. I too have been trying to do the weed out and cut back on the amount of craft supplies I bring into the apartment. Not easy when a kind neighbour discovers that you are learning to knit and drops off a leaf bag full of supplies for you. And really good stuff too!!
Posted by deborahthecraft on 2004-05-25 16:21:29
Post Subject:
Oddly I've always liked my craft space and would have been happy to have posted a picture,but I went home last night to find that my husband had moved all the furniture...and craft supplies.Rolls eyes.This is going to take ages to fix.
I have all of my impliments in differnet plastic sterlite containers.ie.
Posted by sallymania on 2005-01-04 00:08:14
Post Subject: bulk craft supplies
My name is Sally and I'm new to the group.
I am looking for good sources for bulk craft supplies. I want to start my own part time craft business doing a little of this or that (kniting, crocheting, beading, greeting cards, soap, candles, etc. I'm still playing around with ideas.)
I'm looking for some good sources for bulk supplies. Most of the places I look either require a resale license, have way too high minimum purchases or are just cheap and crappy. I don't need 144 cases of paper mache boxes, but I might buy 144. I also don't need things packaged for resale, which may save me money.
Any good source for part time crafters just starting out are also recommended.
Posted by craftfetish on 2007-10-24 10:50:12
Post Subject:
I'm definitely trying to limit the amount of craft supplies that come into my house - due to space and budgetary constraints. Use what I've got and get rid of what I won't use.
I'm not very monogomous though. If I'm knitting something that will take me a while, I'll likely have another project on the needles (when I just can't stomach one more round of stockinette -ooh cables! - that sort of thing).
I'll also switch out to instant gratification projects - baking, card making, etc. Anything that I can get done in an afternoon. I get tired of blogging about the same project (yup still working on that sweater...the back panel is 2 inches longer now even though this looks remarkably like the photo from the last post...)
If I get bored, it starts feeling like work - and that's just not what crafting is for.
Posted by redheadedali on 2004-11-16 21:55:32
Post Subject:
I want:
Lots of knitting books
Some crochet books
Seasons of Gilmore Girls and Angel on DVD
A digital camera
The new U2 CD
Gift cards to places that sell books and craft supplies
My two front teeth (hee hee)
Posted by anjalouise on 2006-01-21 15:37:45
Post Subject:
I JUST received my authorization to get a job in the US, so up until now (about a year), my husband has been supporting both of us. Luckily, we are cheap kids and it hasn't been that bad.
I have an etsy store, and I made a bit of money selling crafts, but not a whole lot. We're working on starting up an ebay business selling vintage clothing, which is SO profitable right now. I love finding old clothes, so it's perfect! Hopefully in the near future, we can both work part-time jobs (if even), and sell things for money. Might as well take advantage of the internet while it's such a huge thing!
As for selling crafts, I have found that more artistic/unique stuff sells the best. A lot of crafters won't buy something because they know they are capable of making it, so I think that's why illustrator-crafters do so well. Also, I've been having success lately selling vintage fabrics. Craft SUPPLIES are a good way to go!
Posted by lizardsally on 2006-04-11 11:03:46
Post Subject:
FYI it is freecycle.org not .com and it's a great place to get craft supplies, including fabric, but since you don't usually get to see what you are getting sometimes it's not anything you can use! But hey, it's free!
Posted by happyhats on 2005-05-04 23:10:07
Post Subject:
The reason that they are stacked in twos is for this reason. I did a mini test, doing the first shelf, putting the second on top, and checking it for sturdiness. I leaned and pushed, etc, and it seemed fine. I still haven't decied if I'm filling the cans or not however.
Actually, my craft area is as organized as can be for the moment, I moved recently and we've not put our shelves up yet. So, craft supplies are on a shelf, just the shelf is still on the floor. They may be moved under the bed, well, when we finally get the bed and stop sleeping on the floor. Heh.
Posted by merrydeath on 2005-01-16 21:50:37
Post Subject: aahhh!!! crafty organization skills?
i have this problem with all my *craft supplies*...i am so hopelessly unorganized and does anyone have any ideas on how to store stuff? like, magazines/newspapers for collage art...yarn...sewing supplies...paint stuff...i think i just need a room to be the craft room. >_< not like that's gonna happen anytime soon...but i will appreciate any advice. my problem is i just see all this crap, but i don't see it as crap! i see it like, *oh! this would be so cool to make into ________* and i keep it and i don't wanna get rid of it (yes, i am called a pack rat by some...) because then as soon as i don't have it i will want to use it! so i just need a good way to keep it all together. and uncluttered. i should probably spring for some kind of organization system thing from home depot or somewhere, but who has the cash?? so any and all advice on how to create a kid friendly, relatively clutter free, organized *craft haven* /bedroom will be utterly appreciated!!! and not just for craft supplies. i mean, if you figured out how to keep your closet looking like the ones in the magazines and stuff...throw that in too! hahaha....no, really!!! ^_^
Posted by deborahthecraft on 2004-10-20 11:55:50
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is this something you would all be interested in? some sort of virtual swap meet area on get crafty? we've been discussing it...
I would.Both for finished projects and craft supplies.
Posted by Athos on 2004-10-29 17:37:34
Post Subject:
here's my craftivism conclusion! i also posted this in the craft-up section, hoping to entice some local people into donating.
i've decided to make a donation this year to la casa de las madres, a san francisco based group that offers emergency services to women and their children escaping domestic violence.
i've spoken with the donations coordinator, and this is the information that i received.
they have women of all ages there, and children from newborn to age 18, so items of all sizes and colors would be welcome. they would take blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, gloves - all the standard handmade stuff. if you do not knit or crochet, you are welcome to sew any donations. machine washable is good, so is warm wool, but they are not picky and would take anything. you are welcome to wrap stuff if you want, but please put a tag on the outside indicating what is inside, and the size, etc. i also suggest attaching a tag indicating the fabric content, care instructions, and maybe a little pick-me-up message.
they are also looking for donations of art and craft supplies - fabric, yarn, needles, paper, crayons, hooks, glue, markers, etc. NO magazines, they already have plenty.
they accept donations year-round, but if you would like to have your gift as a holiday thing, they need it by dec. 17th. if you live in the area, i would be happy to coordinate a drop-off for gifts. i will be leaving for ohio on dec. 18th, so i would need donations by DECEMBER 11th to get them over in time. if you are not in the area, you can mail a donation directly to the center (address below). if you would prefer to send it to me, let me know and i'll give you my address.
any questions, please let me know. i know many of us are making gifts for our families and friends this year, and i encourage you all to find time to make a little hat for a baby or something else. the war against women that goes on every day (especially in this political climate) is something we can fight with our votes, and with our tangible support of women in need.
http://www.lacasa.org/index.html
http://www.lacasa.org/wish_list.html
About La Casa: La Casa de las Madres offers emergency residential shelter to battered women and their children while providing counseling, family-based services and referrals. Our Emergency Crisis Shelter has the capacity to shelter and support 35 women and children per night. La Casa's downtown San Francisco office houses our two 24-hour Crisis Phone Lines, a Drop-In Counseling Center, the Teen Intervention & Prevention Program, and the Community Education & Outreach Program. All services are offered free-of-charge in English and Spanish.
La Casa de las Madres
1850 Mission Street, Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94103
Posted by sarabell on 2005-02-28 14:39:19
Post Subject: still searching....
still searching for olympia area crafters for thrift shopping, flea markets, coffee, trading craft supplies, ideas, whatever.... also interested in doing some collaboration with someone who is adept with a sewing machine (we're not friends...) i'm technically not in olympia but in potlatch but i'm willing to drive that half an hour to get the *@%& out of here once in a while....
Posted by purpledoor on 2007-06-27 09:45:34
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I find that having all my craft supplies accessible and organized and having a nice place to work really helps. So clean up the craft area and put everything in order!
Doing little projects when you can't get moving on something bigger also helps. Like if I just can't get up the motivation to tackle knitting a huge sweater I'll work on a small, simple project for a few days, like a hat or scarf.
Posted by rratstarr on 2004-10-17 12:24:13
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I know a lot of people who post on here probably visit http://www.craftster.org , but they just put up a "classified" section where you can swap finished craft projects. You can also swap craft supplies if your crafty finds ever become more than you can handle.
Posted by craftview on 2005-06-13 21:29:15
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I can totally relate. I live in a 1 BR/ 1 BTH apartment in downtown San Diego -- I just recovered a cool trunk with cranberry vinyl to act as a coffee table (LOL - that was my latest project.)
The key is to organize -- I bought 10 of Targets Qubits to store all my stuff in and I have two bookcases for all my books.
My kitchen has all my craft supplies -- I plan to purchase some sort of storage system from IKEA.
LOL -- my closet is the hallway between my bedroom and the bath room -- its really small.
Posted by Chelsea on 2005-06-29 12:07:35
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I just take all of our bills - rent, electric, phone, hospital, etc.
From what's left I figure out a good number for the grocery store: Usually $200 or less.
After that I figure out a number for household needs - stuff you'd get at Target - shampoo, cleaning supplies, makeup, etc - This depends on how tight the month is going to be. I can live w/out eyeliner for a month if I have to. I can buy a cheaper shampoo.
What's left of this we are able to spend on entertainment/craft supplies/CDs or whatever my husband wants to get. All the extra stuff we don't need. If there's an extra bill - like closing costs on a house - this entire section gets put towards that - plus a little from the Target and Grocery store sections.
Posted by redheadedali on 2004-10-22 22:34:29
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I finally broke down and bought a copy of Stitch 'N Bitch, and when I went to the craft store to get craft supplies, all knitting needles and saccessories were 40% off. I was a happy girl.
Posted by acebeader on 2005-01-03 09:10:43
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My wonderful fiance turned a small closet (4-5' deep x 6' wide) into my "Crap Closet" when I moved in. We lined it with floor to ceiling shelves. I have all of my craft supplies in various Rubbermaid/Sterilite containers, mostly clear. I also have my gift wrap and bags in there, and my beads. My beads are another story....I have 2 wonderful large containers with handles, and many smaller containers within.
I mostly have a hodge-podge of containers, because different stuff needs different space. It's also nice because I can shove stuff in there when we have company come over :)
Posted by happyhats on 2005-06-18 19:43:11
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Right now all of my craft supplies are kind of squished up into one large rubbermaid container. When the shelves finally get put up the crafts get a shelf of their own plus the rubbermaid container, which is blue and will be decoupaged to look more cordinated and furniture like in the room. I usually do my crafts on the floor in front of the tv. I really want to make a loft bed for the bedroom, and have a nice crafting nook under there, but it's a bit in the future. (I as well am in a roomate situation with one bedroom for my supplies to be located.)
Posted by NAP on 2005-06-29 10:21:33
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We closed on our house in April and things have been tight. There is so much that you never imagined you'll need. Here is how we budget.
Grocery store - $200 per month
Entertainment - $200 per month (including eating out, movies, museum trips and anything else we want to do that month)
Clothing/Craft Supplies - $100 per month
Beauty - $65 per month (I cut DH's hair now so this figure need to be reduced, he was spending $25 a month just on haircuts)
We don't budget for the things that we need like gas for our car. When the tank is on E you find a way to fill up.
We have an excel spreadsheet with the 4 columns and we have it formatted so it subtracts and we know the balance in the accounts. We don't do the cash method, it doesn't work that well for us. We just make sure to type our daily expenses into to the spreadsheet every day.
Before we came up with those figures we figured out all of our expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance…) and then took the remaining and divided it up into the 4 categories.
Posted by ChristineRenee on 2007-03-06 21:32:22
Post Subject:
One thing you could do with the candy wrappers and stuff cut out of magazines is make pinback buttons (badges)! (I have a DIY deal where you can send me the cut-out circles and I'll make the buttons for you for pretty cheap.)
But then you'd just be adding to your collection of pinback buttons!
Seriously though, I was just drooling over your list. I love everyone's suggestions too. I'm not sure what I can add...
I guess I would just say do some mixed-media art pieces. I would just get out your craft supplies (glue, scissors etc), play some music to inspire you and just see what happens.
Posted by Katrin on 2004-10-05 14:18:13
Post Subject: Bartering stuff
I like to make crafts from recycled materials. I have a lot of beautiful, inspiring "craft supplies" from my workplace (uh, the big green coffee mermaid) that would otherwise have just gone into the trash. Holidays are coming up, I'm feeling crafty, and I want to make gifts and things that I can exchange for other gifts.
The catch is this: Since the materials (coffee bags, gift cards, etc.) have the company logo and other licensed/trademarked images on them, I'm not allowed to sell my creations for a profit. I can give them away (which I plan to do for friends & family, but I'm not quite that generous to random strangers), or I can barter them for stuff that isn't money.
So I need ideas for things to ask for in exchange for my craft items. I figure a tote bag is worth about a $20-25 value. I'd put a card purse somewhere in the $60 range - I hope people don't think that's too high; they're very time-consuming and labor-intensive to make, and the other supplies that go into them are kind of pricey.
I've thought of trading them for services like house cleaning or haircuts, but those are only good one time ("Clean your bathroom again? No thanks; I don't need another purse"). I like the idea of swapping for other handmade items - particularly non-girly stuff for all my teenage nephews. Suggestions for non-handmade stuff to trade are always welcome too!
Posted by soapandwater on 2004-05-19 22:59:33
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Cookbooks! I can usually find one for under ten dollars at Barnes and Noble or some place like that; granted, they're not the best. But I got a cute little "Asian hot and spicy" one for very cheap.
Craft supplies!
Sunglasses (I never spend more than five dollars on sunglasses, and they're always better than everyone else's I see.)
Sunglasses are my next object of collection. For awhile I collected winter scarves, but now I want hollywood-esque sunglasses. Thank God for Dollar General.
Posted by acebeader on 2004-05-20 09:17:54
Post Subject:
I would agree with beads...and then you have an amazing piece of jewelry at the end.
I also like to go and buy a nice magazine, and a relatively cheap bottle of wine, and for under $10, you can have a relaxing evening.
Another thing I like to do is buy a new Rubbermaid/organization device, and then re-arrange craft supplies. I usually find some stuff I forgot about, and it lends iteself to great ideas.
I also like to check the clearance section in the Wal Mart craft area...there can be some real bargains in there!
Posted by happyhats on 2006-02-01 02:45:05
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A lot of great tips so far. I second everything. Hmm, a few more tips...
1. Go to the library. Don't buy any books unless you know you would read them over and over...just check them out instead. The same goes for magazines. They also usually rent out movies for free or a very small charge.
2. Recycle. It's good for the can, it's good for the bottle, and it's good for your pocket book.
3. DIY as much as possible...seriously. You'll end up saving a lot of money and waste, and you'll usually love the items you created/refurbished a lot more.
4. Research. Take the time to look up frugal websites, as they can have great tips and recipes. Know your town or area, and know the best places to shop in terms of money and value. I know what is the best value at all the thrift stores (one is best for clothes and entertainment, one is best for furniture, one is best for craft supplies, etc.), as well as groceries and other necessities.
5. Don't forget your dollar stores, Big Lots, and any other discount or warehouse stores. Remember to read your fliers.
Posted by homuncula on 2005-08-14 16:43:03
Post Subject:
This kind of crap just gives me further motivation to buy fabric and craft supplies secondhand as much as possible! Thrift stores, Ebay, Freecycle, trades with friends... all a better way to keep my hard-earned bucks from supporting what I don't want to support. It does take more time, but hey, if I have time to craft, I have time to shop at thrift stores :)
Posted by Athos on 2008-01-22 19:17:32
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Jean! So glad to see your post. I feel exactly the same way - I was really excited about the Handmade Pledge, and then saw it sponsored by places that make money from people buying handmade.
I don't want to DIY everything. And buying from someone else who does DIY, especially someone who excels at things I don't enjoy or want to make. But buying stuff I don't need, buying endless boxes of craft supplies does not enhance my life. It distracts and detracts from it. I'm glad someone is finally saying how consumerist parts of the craft culture have become.
Posted by EarthTones on 2004-05-24 10:25:32
Post Subject: Re: Craftistas: Speak Your Minds!
What a great thread! Here is my $0.02...
What ISN'T out there to support your creative endeavors?I have yearned for a craft circle for the longest. I totally feed off of other creative folks, and like others have mentioned, although I LOVE LOVE LOVE to sense of community I have found here and in other creative online communities I have longed for an offline circle of crafty women who are expressing themselves on their own terms and creating all kinda of deliciously beautiful things.
I was recently fortunate enough to discover a few other crafty spirits at my job. We have since formed a lunchtime craft circle and will be picnicing at a local park during our lunch hour and working on projects. The cool thing is that we are getting to know one another in ways that we didn't before. I am really excited about this and am also hoping to get something together outside of work.
What are you needing and looking for that would keep you in the creative flow?What type of creativity support would REALLY make a difference for you?I have envisioned a full scale craft network of creative women who come together to create an environment that exudes creativity, community, empowerment and FUN! The suport would be multi-faceted in that we can work on projects (either free flowing or a project that we all work on simultaneously), we teach each other how to work with our respective favorite media, and also support those of us who wish to dip our toes in the craft business pool. As a social work craftista I also would love to work on projects that would better our communities...i.e. donating craft supplies to schools/youth programs or donating finished projects for auctions, sales, or organizations such as Project Linus/Make A Wish, etc.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I have a weakness for creative folks with a social conscience. We don't always have to agree on every issue, but I love being in the presence of people who are able to talk about what's going on in the world and offer insight and information to help keep me grounded, and hopefully I can do the same for them. *I think that is why I love this board already!*
I have actually started to write these ideas down in my journal so I can develop an action plan. If I don't then they will probably remain dreams and never turn into tangible goals.
Posted by Katrin on 2006-02-11 16:34:46
Post Subject:
I don't really label my craft activities as "political", but I suppose others might; it just doesn't occur to me to use that word. My crafts definitely intentionally reflect my opinions and beliefs - including the very strong belief that it's better to share your values quietly by living as an example rather than preaching and bullying about them.
1. I use as many salvaged or recycled materials as I can. This evolved out of financial necessity at first, but the more I learn about the resources and energy it takes to produce (for instance) textiles, the more it simply makes sense to repurpose items that already exist, especially if they'd otherwise be discarded. I do still often get the urge to buy craft supplies ('cause let's face it, shopping is fun) - but if I must, I try to buy things secondhand before resorting to brand-new.
2. I make functional objects (mostly clothing, in my case) and make a point of being seen using them. I've been thinking a lot lately about the prevailing attitude that handmade items are less "legitimate" than store-bought, mass-produced ones (unless they're made by those nameless, faceless, hardworking rustic peasants in some faraway land, in which case they are fetishized). There's no in-between, no concept that "regular people" can make things that are both real useful everyday objects and real art. I want to dispel the notion that handicrafts must be either a substandard imitation or a magical totem.
