Dritz Bias Tape Maker

Reported by Susie Ziegler

Bias tape makers are very handy to have around when you want a decorative edge on your sewing project. They come in a variety of widths. I like the one inch width best because I usually fold it over the raw edge of a blank kitchen towel that I will later embroider, and one inch gives a nice glimpse of the fabric pattern. Today I'm showing you the 1" Bias Tape Maker by Dritz.


Directions are on the back of the package. These instructions show how to get actual bias strips. Honestly, I usually cut my strips on the straight grain because I am thrifty and it is easier to cut strips across the selvage. If you need your bias tape to conquer curves, you'll want to go to the trouble to make the cross-grain bias cuts pictured here. Bias also negotiates corners somewhat easier, but if you are generous with pins, you can get your straight-grain tape to work too.


Okay, so I need enough 2 inch strips to go all the way around the tea towel I'm using. My towel needed three strips.

You'll have to sew your strips together. It is less bulky to use this method. Put right sides of fabric (wrong side out) together at a right angle. Sew across from one corner to the other.

Trim to 1/4 inch and press seam open. Trim off threads and tags that overhang.

Once you have your long strip, it's time to thread it into the tape maker. This strip threaded super easily. I bet you could use this tape maker with thicker upholstery fabric successfully. It really does seem roomy.

Yipes! It's roomy and slippery! The whole thing easily went all wrong. The fabric slipped and slided and wrinkled and... ugh!

I threaded the opposite side of my strip and tried again. I had to go really slowly and use the iron right against the tool. Doing it this way made the tool hot, so I was happy to have a handle to drag the bias tape maker along. Even slowly and carefully, I had some problems.

Above, it looks pretty good, but one side is folded up more than the other. I really was careful!

I'm going to make this into double fold binding. You can buy double fold binding at your sewing store, but it isn't going to look as cute as patterned fabric. Fold it over so one side is just a little bit below the other. This shorter side is the side you will have up when you sew. Folding it this way helps make sure you will catch the bottom when you topstitch it all.

There are no bonus points in heaven for using very few pins. Go ahead and pin and pin to get it straight. More pins makes it go really quick around the sewing machine. Pay attention to mitering the corners. Be sure to pin there too.

Trim the binding so that you have a few generous inches overlapping. One side of the binding will tuck inside the other.


oops... I'm slipping into writing a binding tutorial and I'm not supposed to do that... Product review. Product review...

Pros:

• Easy to find tool. At $6.50, it is reasonably priced
• Easy to thread. Can likely be used with thick fabrics
  
• Measurements are easy. Cut strips twice as wide as tool. (2-inch strips for 1-inch bias tape).
• Works if you use a steady hand and are very careful
  

Cons:

• Very slick, fabric slipped and slided all over the place
• Needs a steady hand and care to work correctly.
• Once the fabric is messed up, it is hard to fix because it all just wants to fold up wonky again.

Up until recently, I could usually only find the Dritz tape maker, but Clover ones are turning up more and more. You can read my Craft Critique review of the Clover Brand Bias Tape maker HERE. At my local sewing retailer you can find both Dritz and Clover brand bias tape makers. Dritz makes the one-inch width and a smaller 1/4 inch style. Clover has five sizes, but you might have trouble finding the more unusual widths at a store near you. Today, at my store, the Clover tools were each $1 more than the Dritz. If you have the option and aren't sewing denim or upholstery bias strips, spring for the Clover bias tape maker. I was much happier using that one.

Do you have a preference? Do you like the Dritz Bias Tape Maker or the Clover ones?

Remember The Butterfly Project!

Just a reminder... Your Butterflies are due at the end of the month! Please don't forget! You still have time! Please link to this post to let all your crafty friends know too!

Butterflies made by the Chicagoland Craft Collective

Craft Critique is so proud of our readers and the lovely work that we have already received for Holocaust Museum of Houston's Butterfly Project. It is so rewarding putting together all of your wonderful work, so we are extending the deadline until September 30. This means that you still have time to send us a butterfly to represent a child's life lost. (I won't send the butterflies until after October 15th probably... so just send yours in TODAY!)

After you send us your butterflies we will send them all together to Houston to be included in the exhibit in Spring 2012.

All of us together can make a big impact in this important project with our simple crafty talents!

Here are some things to remember when making your butterfly.

• Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.

• Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional submissions are preferred.

• Glitter should not be used.

• Food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables) also should not be used.

• Place your butterfly in a Ziplock Bag with your name and address.

You can send your Butterflies to us here:

Craft Critique
Attn: Butterfly Project
649 N. Spring Street
Elgin, IL 60120

Are you REALLY stumped for a butterfly craft? Then print this free coloring page, have your kids (or you) color it in, cut it out and send it in!

Now that you have all the information you need we are going to sweeten the deal by reminding you that there is still one giveaway to go along with The Butterfly Project. Take a look back at THIS post to see the beautiful butterfly stamp set donated by Jessica Diedrich. 2 sets have already been given away, but we still have one more set to gift to a participant.... just leave a comment with a link to your butterfly here, or on any of the Butterfly Project posts.

More thanks also to Maria Colosimo of Kitchen Sink Stamps who donated a prize last month. And Christy Nelson who supported the project with her craft kits! What a wonderful group of crafty women we know!

Zva Creative Crystals

Reported by Julia Stainton


Bling is a big thing in the crafting market these days. I find that it is one of my favorite embellishments to add to my paper crafting projects. Recently, I came across a new bling source and just had to try them out. Zva Creative is a relatively new embellishment company in the crafting industry. They sell some great flowers, brads, eyelets and glue dots, but what really fascinated me was the Zva Creative Crystals Series.

The Zva Creative Crystals are self-adhesive rhinestones that are arranged into shapes. The crystals keep their shape by the way the adhesive is applied to the reverse side of the embellishment. The crystals are available in many different sizes and shapes of flourishes, as well as monograms, alphabets, and words. I absolutely adore these pre-designed shapes, but if you're looking to add single rhinestones directly to a project or image, you can purchase sheets of single rhinestones as well.

One things I really loved about the Zva Creative Crystals is the size of their rhinestone shapes. They are all sized to work well with both cards as well as scrapbooking layouts. This makes them extremely flexible. I also love how you can purchase the in clear crystals and also in black, pink, blue & green as well. My other favorite aspect of this product is how well they work with different styles. The Zva Creative Crystals look fabulous on clean, trendy, traditional and vintage styled designs. How about thinking outside the box and using the crystals to embellish cell phones and laptops and all kinds of fun things?!

How to use: The Zva Creative Crystals couldn't be easier to use. Simply peel them off their plastic backing and place on your design. If there are multiple designs on a plastic sheet, I like to cut it into individual elements so that I can lay it on my design to decide the best position. I love how the clear plastic sheet makes this easy. When using large flourishes, I find it best to peel them off slowly and carefully to make sure the the different parts of the flourish do not adhere together.

The Zva Crystals can be adhered to...

• cardstock
• patterned paper
• transparency sheets
• plastic
• ribbon
• fabric
• glass
• chipboard
• wood
• ceramics
  

Pros:

• easy to apply
• great shapes
• adheres well
• adds a rich look to projects
• loved the variety of sizes and colors in the flourishes
  

Cons:

• crystals are a little more expensive than some other forms of embellishments, so you may want to save them for special projects
• relatively new company so your local store may not carry them...try ordering on-line
• larger shapes were a little more difficult to apply evenly

While the Zva crystals are not inexpensive at $3.50 for a package of four frames or four medium-sized flourishes, I love the look so much that I feel they are worth the investment for those special projects. For their elegant look and ease of use, I'd rate this product a 9 out of 10.

If you're looking for some Zva inspiration, they have a fabulous gallery on their site. I'm looking forward to their next release; I love this product and can't wait to see the company grow. I also know that enjoying this product as much as I have, more Zva Crystals will be hitting my shopping cart soon.

Do you love the look of crystals on your crafting projects? Have you tried Zva Crystals? We'd love to hear from you!

Winner!

Congrats to the winner of the 1000th post Giveaway!

Becky Pool said...

Love your tutorials on the Yudu. I'm a screen printer and that little guy looks great for when you're in a pinch!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and to all of you who read Craft Critique every day!

Becky, please email us your address at info@craftcritique.com and we will ship your prize out!

Basic Grey Precision File Set

Reported by Heather Voinski


The Basic Grey Precision File Set is a set of 6 files that can be used on almost every surface, including all those little tight spots that we never seem to be able to get to. The set includes: 1 round, 1 half-round, 1 square, 1 knife, and 2 file boards. All files come with a rubber coated grip for easy use.

I was introduced to this set while attending a class at my LSS. I noticed several ladies filing away at the chipboard album we were making and I was curious! I picked up a set before leaving the store, unknowing that this was the tool I was needing. I am always making something out of chipboard and cardboard. I save all kinds of boxes and inserts from household items to use in my craft area and usually spend a ton of time with my little scissors shaping it. Since getting this set, my little scissors have gotten quite a rest.

Recently I used the file set when making a mini book about our dogs. My front and back covers were both made of cardboard, from a box waiting to be recycled in my garage.

After cutting my pieces of cardboard, I wanted to round the edges. If I could find my corner rounder (we recently moved and it is still lost) I wound have tried to use it, but I don't think it would have even fit. The flat board filer made it easy for me to do though. I marked off my corner using a ruler and then cut it with scissors. Then I used the flat board filer to round the edges of my cardboard. The whole process took me about 5 minutes.

For my inner pages, I cut my pages from a piece of 12 x 12 chipboard.

I wanted cute fancy edges that you get from some of the new chipboard books you see in the stores. I took a piece of left over paper with a edge on it and traced it on my chipboard.

I used my scissors to cut off the most I could, and then filed and shaped it with a flat board file and the half round file. It was simple to do, and I think the pages came out great. It certainly looked like one of those fancy albums that I would pay a lot for in the store.

After making all of my pages out of chipboard, I covered them with paper. After they were all covered, I used the flat board file and the half round file to file my edges. This is what I saw the women at my LSS doing.

If you file the edges of your chipboard after covering it, it makes the edges look nice and clean, like the paper was on it all along.

I love the way it makes the edges look. It makes them look finished.

Filing Tip: The important thing I found out, when filing paper on chipboard, is to go in one direction. You want to make passes over the edges in one direction, and then flip your page over and do it again to the other side. If you don't do this, your edges will become a mess.

My mini book included acrylic pages in between my chipboard ones. The one thing that bugs me about acrylic pages when I cut them myself, are the sharp edges that they can have. I wanted clean edges like my chipboard so I trimmed the edges again and used my flat board file on them.

Filing Tip: Using the files on the acrylic were a little different. What I found is that you need to file in one direction like on the chipboard first and this will produce excess acrylic on the edge and then turn your file on the edge and file off the excess. Doing this will give you a nice smooth edge.

I finished off my mini and embellished it and then tried the flat file on the backside of my staples. A few passes of my file and my edges of the staples were smooth.

Pros:

• Simple to use and the rubber grip makes them easy to hold. Plus... the rubber grip on the file boards can be removed so that you can reverse them to extend their use or replace them.
• Great price
• Durable
• Can be used on multiple surfaces
• Can be used on more than paper crafts. I have a friend that put a wooden dollhouse together for her daughter and used the set to file the entire thing. (this is where the durable come in....she is still using them and they still don't need replacing)
• Instead of using them to smooth, you can also go in the other direction with these and distress!!
  

Cons:

• Would love to see them packaged differently, maybe in a case that closes and holds them better
• That I didn't find them sooner :)

The Basic Grey Precision File Set can be purchased at many sites online and can also be found at most of the chain craft stores.

Overall I can say I am more than pleased with this file set. Definitely gets a rating of 10 out of 10 from me. It has been more helpful than I could have ever imagined, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who crafts. Here at Craft Critique we love to hear what you think of this product and if you have it, please leave a comment and tell us how YOU are using it!

Vendor Spotlight: Hi-Tec Art

Reported by Amanda Talbert

At my house we have toys for the kids, and "Mommy's toys." If you're a crafter, you know what I mean. My kids have building blocks, and I have a trimmer, several die-cut machines, and more. The problem with having two sets of toys at my house? My kids always want to play with my craft toys. This is where Hi-Tec Art comes in for me.

Hi-Tec Art is a plastic board overlain by a silicon substrate that small LEDs can be pushed into to create glowing art. Click here to watch a video of it in action.

The Hi-Tec Art I have is the Sketch, which has a surface that is 4 1/4" x 5 3/8". It has a power button and an artwire button, as well as a port for plugging it into a computer for power via a USB port.


The portable, zippered case holds everything needed to create works of LED creativity. The Hi-Tec Art Sketch, USB cable, box of LEDs, artwire, and images that can be put on the surface to push LEDs through for colorful backgrounds are all included. You can also power the device with two AA batteries, which made this the perfect in-the-car or at-the-coffee-shop toy.

Now that you know what is included, let's get down to how to use it. The tiny little LEDs are pushed into the surface and immediately light up. They can be pushed in to make all kinds of fun patterns like this:

The artwire is used by pushing in little brackets to hold the glowing wire in place like this picture from the Hi-Tec Art website:

I found I wasn't quite skilled enough to make something quite this good with my art wire, and my case came with one which wasn't quite long enough to make this lovely frog either. Not being overly-skilled didn't keep me from having a great time playing and creating with this product though. My kids also had a wonderful time using this thing that falls somewhere on the line between Mommy craft toy and kid toy. This is a picture they made for me:

The Sketch sells on the Hi-Tec Art website for $49.95. It can be used in the car, at home, and in the dark. It can also be hung on the wall as semi-permanent art.

Pros:

• Everyone who sees it will want to play with it. You'll be the life of the party.
• Innovative and clever.
• Can entertain children and geek husbands for hours.

Cons:

• The LEDs in the Sketch device are very tiny, don't spill them on the carpet.
• Must be kept out of reach of very small children.
• Sometimes there are areas of the board that don't light as well as others.

I think everyone will want one of these this year at the holidays. I'm very happy to have it first. If you had one, what would you do with it?

1000 Posts: Huge Giveaway!

Today is the day we officially celebrate our 1,000th post on Craft Critique! Rather than take this 1,000th post to say something profound... or impart wisdom, we decided just to give away a bunch of crafty stuff! Yay!

Are you excited? You should be... because one lucky winner will receive a HUGE box filled with all the above... heck, I don't even know if I have a big enough box!

Thanks to the following companies for donating amazing items for us to share with our readers: Martha Stewart Crafts, EK Success, Basic Grey, Kiki Art, Fiskars, ReadyMade Magazine, Etsy, Glitz Design, Making Memories and K and Company.

So, just leave a comment below and tell us which of the last 1,000 posts was your favorite. I will select a random winner on Friday, at midnight CST.

All About the Provo Craft Gypsy: a Craft Critique Exclusive!

Our readers, and Cricut fans everywhere have been asking questions about the new Provo Craft Gypsy™, and now we have answers, straight from the source! Our Editor in Chief, Sarah Moore, sat down this week to pick the brain of Matt Wilburn, Chief Marketing Officer at Provo Craft.

Don't miss this interview, and be sure to note the HSN release of the Gypsy this Thursday, September 24th at 12:01 am EST, and the fun events/giveaways Provo Craft has planned during the release. See www.cricut.com/gypsy for the full scoop!


Matt, what’s your role at Provo Craft?
I’m responsible for Provo Craft’s marketing efforts. I lead a great team of people focused on making us more responsive to our consumers’ needs. We’ve grown very quickly over the past few years, and it’s more important than ever for us to stay in touch with what they want and need from us. Brands like Cricut and Yudu are innovative and unique - they make it so much easier for people to express themselves creatively. These brands have captured the imagination of millions of people and it’s exciting to see the great work that inspired people can do with the right tools. Our goal is to make sure that our brands deliver an incredible experience for every one of our customers, and that we keep focused on bringing them great new products.

There’s a lot of buzz about the Gypsy. Can you give us a quick overview?
Our consumers tell us that they’re very busy. Many of them act as “Chief Household Officers” – they manage several priorities, like busy families, homes to run, full or part time jobs, and more, and amid all of this, they still want to make time to pursue their own interests too. So we heard repeatedly that a lack of time is a big obstacle to being more creative and productive. We set out to help solve that with Gypsy.

Imagine being able to do a lot of what you do today with Cricut from your car, from a doctor’s office or soccer practice, in the back yard, or even watching TV from the couch. Gypsy is a handheld design studio that allows you to store all of your Cricut cartridges in the palm of your hand, easily access it and design with it, and then connect to Cricut to cut and complete your projects. It allows you to be so much more creative and productive on the go - and on top of all that - it’s really fun to use!


When and where will the Gypsy be available?
The Gypsy will launch on HSN, Thursday, September 24th at 12:01 a.m. EST! As is always the case with HSN, there will be a great offer, but as with all good things, quantities are limited, so be sure to tune in early. During the airing we will also have a Twitter event in which we’ll be giving away product and interacting with Cricut enthusiasts. Go to www.cricut.com/gypsy for more details.

Can you give me an example of the type of software you will release for the Gypsy™?
The first additional software application after the initial release of the Gypsy will be a Photo App that will let you view photos on your Gypsy™. The Photo App will be available soon after you register your Gypsy™ online.

How is the Gypsy™ updated/upgraded?
The Gypsy™ is updated by connecting it to a PC or a MAC with an Internet connection.

Does the Gypsy™ work with Macintosh computers?
Yes, they Gypsy will be compatible with MAC OS10.

What versions of Windows is Gypsy compatible with?
Gypsy is compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit.

How does Gypsy work with my Cricut cartridges?
It’s an easy two-step process: First, you make sure your Gypsy’s cartridge library is up to date by sync-ing it at www.provocraft.com/gypsy with a cable that comes with Gypsy. Second, you connect your cartridges to the Gypsy, one at a time to link them to your Gypsy. This simple act of linking allows you to cut all the artwork from linked cartridges from your Gypsy™ without having to connect the cartridge again to the Gypsy or your Cricut machine.

What happens to my Cricut® cartridges when I link them to my Gypsy™?
The unique serial number of your Gypsy is copied to the cartridge. This links your cartridge to your Gypsy preventing it from being linked to another Gypsy™. All of your cartridges continue to work on their own with all of your existing Cricut® products, allowing you to use the content on your Gypsy™ or on your Cricut® without your Gypsy™.

Do I need to save my cartridges after I've linked them?
Yes! You should keep your cartridges even after you have linked them to your Gypsy. The cartridges will serve as your backup of your Cricut cartridges should you ever need them in the future.

In what ways will the Gypsy™ allow me to be creative with my Cricut® cartridge content?
The Gypsy allows you to select images from the entire library of Cricut® cartridges and place them on an electronic version of the cutting mat. Once an image is on the mat you will be able to size it, rotate it, stretch it, flip it side-to-side, flip it top-to-bottom, group images to make them easier to move and edit, and weld. On Gypsy, you can access and design with the entire library of Cricut cartridges, but you can only cut the images that are from cartridges you own.

How do I cut a design on my Cricut® once I have created it on my Gypsy™?
You simply connect the Gypsy™ to the Cricut® using the USB cable included with your Gypsy™ and simply press cut on the screen of your Gypsy.

Does the Gypsy™ give me anything new? Any new functionality today?
1. The Gypsy™ allows you the freedom to design where and when you want. So you can take your entire Cricut™ cartridge library with you wherever you go, in the palm of your hand! Design while you are out at the doctor's office, while you are waiting in your car, or just sitting on the couch. When you have completed your design, connect the Gypsy™ to the Cricut® and cut.

2. The Gypsy™ allows you to see all your images without the use of a manual or a keypad overlay. For example, when you press the shift key the images on the keypad will change. When you press the blackout key, the keypad will update again. You will never have to use a manual or keypad on Gypsy!

3. The Gypsy™ also allows you greater access to your cartridge content by allowing you to search by keyword all of the images on your Gypsy. You can even search images across the entire cartridge library, not just those you already own.

4. The Gypsy™ allows you to save your designs, and then open them again later as templates that you can use as a head start for starting new projects.

5. And as I already mentioned, the Gypsy is expandable to bring you new features that are already in the works. You just update Gypsy at www.provocraft.com/gypsy to access software updates and new features.

What happens if my Gypsy crashes and can't be fixed?
Give us a call. If it is determined that the device needs to be replaced, you simply it to us and we will send you a new Gypsy™ with the same serial number. Depending on the warranty, there may be a fee for the replacement Gypsy. Once you have received the new Gypsy, you will be able to connect your cartridges again to the Gypsy™ to authorize it to cut those cartridge images. Remember, you’ll need to keep your cartridges as backup.

How do I use my Cricut while I am waiting for my replacement Gypsy™?
Use your cartridges with your Cricut® while waiting for your replacement Gypsy™. Your cartridges will continue to work in all the Cricut™ products.

How much does the Gypsy™ weigh?
11 ounces.

How big is the Gypsy™?
8.5" long, 3.8" tall and 1" thick.

How long does the battery last?
Approximately 4 hours under continuous use and 16 hours under intermittent use.

Are there any accessories for the Gypsy™?
Yes, there are! Here is a list what will be available at launch:
1. Silicon “skins” in a variety of designs
2. Screen protector
3. Colored styluses
4. Colored lanyards
5. Vehicle power supply
6. Replacement AC power supply

What’s next for Provo Craft?
We’re constantly working on “what’s next” to help people express themselves creatively and have a great experience with our brands. We expect Gypsy will do that in spades for our customers – it’s both very functional and very fun! Cricut was a big breakthrough in creativity powered by technology, and so was Yudu.

For these brands, and our other brands like Cuttlebug, YourStory, and even the Knifty Knitter, we’ve got more exciting plans in store. Keep your eyes peeled!

Beadalon Spin-N-Bead Loader

Reported by Jenny Barnett Rohrs

The Beadalon Spin-N-Bead Junior is one of those little, low-tech gadgets that you see in the stores, think is kinda cool, and then can't quite think what you'd do with it. I got to take one of these little goodies home from CHA Summer, and I admit it sat in the box for a while. However, not that I've got it out, it's got my creative juices flowing.

This is what you get in the package- the bead bowl, the spinner base, and a curved needle.


It's so simple, it's brilliant. Fill the bowl with your seed beads and place it on the spinner base.


Load your big-eyed needle with your preferred stringing material. You can use beading thread, embroidery floss, flexible beading wire...what ever works with the beads you are working with.

So you take your loaded needle in one hand, give your little bead bowl a spin (just like a top), and angle the curved part of the needle to the curved part of the bowl. Also make sure the hook is going one way and the spinning bowl is going the opposite direction. This is always harder to explain than to show, to take a peek at the video we took at CHA, featuring Wyatt White from Beadalon himself:



Now, there IS a little learning curve to this. You need to practice getting the angle of the needle just right, as well as learning to flick your wrist "up" to keep the beads you've loaded on the needle..ahem.. ON the needle so you can push them onto your stringing thread. And you will experience some beads hopping out and scattering on the floor. However, it's STILL a lot easier than loading a few beads at a time onto a needle by hand.

My kids were watching me do this, and I even let my 8 year-old son take a crack at it! He thought is was fun to do, and it was easy enough for him to master that he wants to make his Christmas gifts with it.

Since I'd been itching to try some bead crochet, I did a single crocheted strand that I turned into an ankle bracelet.



I'm just here to tell you that if I hadn't had the Spin-n-Bead, there is NO WAY I'd ever hand-string all of those beads for that technique. I can honestly say that this cute little gizmo got me crafting in a whole new way.

I also tested it out using only 20 gauge wire, curving the wire around to make a needle. It also worked great. Wire flowers, anyone?


In sum, this is handy-dandy little tool that would be a great stocking stuffer for a beader or needle worker. Easy and fun enough for a kid to use, I think it's pretty "craftastic."

Pros:

• Good price point (under $20.00 for the mini version)
• Low tech & easy to use
• Portable and fun
• Saves MAJOR time!
  

Cons:

• Minor learning curve
• Extra bowls are not available individually- you have to buy a whole new set.
• Availability- haven't seen them in big-box stores. Visit your local bead shop and ask for it, or Google it and order on-line.
• Not good for larger beads, irregular ones, etc. Stick with seed beads and "e"beads for best results.

I'm thinking that I'm going to whip up a few batches of ID badge holders for my kids' teachers for holiday gifts. What would YOU make with it?

WINNER Copic Spica Glitter Pens

Congrats to:

Teresa Jenkins said...

I absolutely love my Copics! They are rather addicting though! Haven't tried out the Spica Glitter Pens yet, but would love to the chance! Thanks for sharing!

12:54 PM

Hey Teresa... send an email to Melissa@CraftCritique.com with "Copic Spica Winner" in the subject line, and your address in the body of the email, and Copic will get your snazzy glittery pens out to you as soon as they can.

Thanks to everyone for commenting and playing along... looks like you're all as madly in love with Copics as we are! Keep coloring!

Handmade Cavalcade: Big City Crafters, Small Town Charm

Reported by Rachel Johnson

I have only been living in New York City for six months, but in that short time I have discovered a huge and thriving craft community within this huge and exciting metropolis. The crafty NY ecosystem seems to be roughly focused around the Brooklyn area. There are near weekly craft shows, meet-ups, plus The Brooklyn Flea and the Brooklyn Indie Market. Perhaps most importantly, Etsy has their main office in Brooklyn, and one of the most active Etsy Teams, The {New New}, plays a part in much of the crafty activity in the city. (Etsy Teams are groups of organized Etsy members formed around a shared location or interest who network, share skills, and promote their shops together. The {New New} represents artists and crafts people from the the entire New York metro area, including New Jersey and Connecticut.)

Despite the many craft opportunities within the bustling city, sometimes I need to get out of town - and The {New New} agrees! On Saturday, September 12th, they hosted their fall Handmade Cavalcade craft show in the small city of Beacon, about two hours north of NYC. Beacon is an emerging art mecca, with a contemporary art museum, galleries, and a large number of local artisans. The Handmade Cavalcade show was held in conjunction with Beacon's Second Saturday art celebration event, which made it an even more attractive reason for a day trip.

The craft show was held just off Main Street in the wood shop of Jon and Kristy Reichert (creators of Beacon Bookmarks) and outside Lydia Lynch's Paper Presence stationery shop. I arrived late in the afternoon, and the weather was not being extremely cooperative - it was overcast, chilly, and a little rainy. The icky weather may have decreased the size of the shopping crowd slightly, but it did not dampen the crafty vendor's spirits. Each booth was unique and fun, and the wide variety of items for sale ranged from greeting cards and jewelry to handmade soaps and baked goods (seen above is the Pulp Sushi jewelry booth and Nordea's Soaperie).

The majority of the Handmade Cavalcade vendors live and work in New York City, but about a quarter of them live in Beacon or its surrounding towns. Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly. I had fun browsing the lovely handmade items and chatting with many of the crafters (above is the adorable Felt It booth and Jody Lee's A Studio by the Sea jewelry and glass bead booth). You can view a full list of the vendors on the Handmade cavalcade website.

The tag line of the Handmade Cavalcade was "bringing you the top tier of contemporary craft" and the show lived up to those words. The organization and marketing of the event was superb, and the artisans were all talented and professional. I am looking forward to The {New New}'s upcoming Crafts in Chelsea event on October 17th, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the New York City area.

Tell us about the crafty events going on in your neck of the woods!