Take a Break With Us!

(Please imagine soft holiday music in the background while reading)

We at Craft Critique would like to wish you and yours a merry everything and a very happy New Year. We are beyond thankful for all of your readership and support. We will be taking some time away from the interwebs to enjoy time with family and friends over the holiday and suggest you do the same.

If you require any entertainment between now and January 2nd... May we suggest searching our vast archives via our sidebar, or visiting our wonderful sponsors!

Beyond that, the video below of the Del Rubio Triplets or Cats flushing toliets are also suggested viewing. Feel free to share your favorite (appropriate) viral video over the holiday in our comments section... and enjoy!

On the Twelveth Day

Of the holiday our staff would like to see....


12 "L" Letterpress, 11 Xyron Creatopias, 10 Tickets to the CHA Craft SuperShow, 9 Cricut Expressions, 8 Unibind Book Creators, 7 Copic Markers, 6 Knifty Knitters, 5 Heat It tools by Ranger, 4 YUDU Screen Printers, 3 Gingher 8" Dressmaker's Shears, 2 ATG Guns, and some embossing powder from Zing.

We saw this at CHA last Summer and fell in LOVE! The "L" Letterpress is an amazing way for the home crafter to get the look of Letterpress without a one ton + $2,000 Machine. For all you die hard letterpress fans... we agree, this is not real letterpress, but we think that for the average crafter it's close enough to give them a taste of what the art of letterpress is all about!

With that we leave you all to enjoy your holiday... and Happy New Year!



Post Disclosure

On the Eleventh Day

of the Holidays our staff would like to see...

11 Xyron Creatopias, 10 Tickets to the CHA Craft SuperShow, 9 Cricut Expressions, 8 Unibind Book Creators, 7 Copic Markers, 6 Knifty Knitters, 5 Heat It tools by Ranger, 4 YUDU Screen Printers, 3 Gingher 8" Dressmaker's Shears, 2 ATG Guns, and some embossing powder from Zing.

Why do we want a Xyron Creatopia? Because there is pretty much nothing it can't do! It cuts, scores, cuts scallop edges, deckles, waves... it embosses, it is a die cut machine, it is a cold laminator, and applies adhesive to paper and fabric. It can not, however, cook dinner... but they are totally working on it.

Watch this video to see all the Creatopia can do!






Post Disclosure

On the Tenth Day

of the Holidays our staff would like to see...


10 Tickets to the CHA Craft SuperShow, 9 Cricut Expressions, 8 Unibind Book Creators, 7 Copic Markers, 6 Knifty Knitters, 5 Heat It tools by Ranger, 4 YUDU Screen Printers, 3 Gingher 8" Dressmaker's Shears, 2 ATG Guns, and some embossing powder from Zing.

Why 10 tickets? So you can bring 9 friends silly! Craft Critique will be there too, with a product demonstration booth and sponsoring the Handmade Pavilion! We are so excited to see you all there!


And here is a little holiday gift from us to you... a discount code to the CHA Craft SuperShow. Just enter CRAFT45 at registration.

click coupon to enlarge

Post Disclosure

I Love Patchwork Review and Author Interview

Reported by Francie Horton


The Sew Liberated and I Love Patchwork Double-the-Fun Blog Tour: 2 Fabulous Sewing Authors, 2 New Books, 2 Weeks 'til Christmas!

If you’ve been keeping up with the tour you’ll know that I interviewed Meg McElwee of Sew Liberated fame on my blog this past Friday and now I get to talk to Rashida Coleman-Hale about her book, I Love Patchwork: 21 Irresistible Zakka Projects To Sew.

If you’re not familiar with the term zakka, Wikipedia defines it as “everything and anything that improves your home, life and outlook. Zakka has also been described as ‘the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane’… it also touches issues of self-expression and spirituality.”

The projects in I Love Patchwork are all ones “meant to enhance one’s environment”, to borrow a phrase from the book’s introduction. They marry the organic look of linen with an obvious love of patchwork. The projects include:

Sewing Room
• Travel Sewing Kit
• Sewing Machine Cover
• Pin Cushion
• Fabric Covered Boxes

Dining
• Placemat and Napkins
• Coaster Set with Holder
• Table Runner
• Utensil Basket

Kitchen
• Apron
• Mini Patchwork Magnets
• Fold Up Eco Bag
• Kitchen Towels

Around the House
• Flower Pot Cover
• Calendar
• Pillows Lap Quilt

The Wee Ones
• School Tote Bag
• Little Lamb Softie
• Pentagon Balls w/ drawstring bag
• Mobile

Bags and Pouches
• Pencil Case
• Oblong Cosmetics Pouch
• Shoulder Bag
• Wallet
• Coin Purse



There is also a section on tools and materials, techniques and, of course, The Stash. The Stash: Fabric Facts and Care contains important information on the different types of linen and how to care for it and prepare it for sewing, on quilter’s cotton and its care, and on the storage of fabric, something every sewist worth their mettle struggles with once they start building their own stash. Rashida also talks a little about choosing prints and colors, although this is an area where there are no hard and fast rules. The more you play with combinations, the easier it becomes and the better you’ll get at it.


Patchwork is one of those techniques where accuracy is important. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book for someone just learning to sew. Rashida does an excellent job with detailed instructions and illustrations for every project and technique, though, so even if you’re new to patchwork it won’t take long for you to pick it up.

All of the projects can be made with your own color and print combinations. In fact, Rashida encourages you to use your own creativity. You could even substitute a different fabric for the linen. These are good solid designs waiting for your personal touch. If you’re a fan of the handmade aesthetic with a clean simplistic look, this is a must-read.

Rashida, you give lots of of info about linen in the first part of your book and use it in almost every project. I have seen what I thought was linen but it seemed to be very loosely woven and definitely not suitable for using in garments or any type of project that was going to get wear. Was it really linen? Does linen have a certain thread count?

Linen comes in many different weights ranging from a sheer weight all the way to a canvas. You can find linen suitable for just about any type of project, so the fabric you saw could very well have been linen, just not necessarily right for garments.

Linen does indeed have a thread count, you can find linen with thread counts up to 1400. The threads that make up linen are quite thick, so its thread count doesn't compare to cotton at all. It tends to be significantly lower than that of cotton. A 150 thread count cotton may not be the greatest quality, but a 150 thread count linen can still be a very fine quality.

Do you ever use vintage fabrics in your patchwork? And is it okay to pair them with new linen?

Yes, yes! I'm quite fond of feedsacks, vintage cotton prints, and vintage linens. The backing and binding for the table runner in the book is actually a vintage bed sheet I found on Ebay. I certainly think it's okay to pair them with new linen. Naturally the vintage fabric should be in fairly good condition.

How would you prepare both the vintage fabrics and the linen?

I like to hand wash vintage fabrics and hang them up to dry before sewing. I also suggest using a delicate soap for washing; the harsh chemicals in today's soaps can strip the color from older fabrics.

I toss new linen into the washing machine on a hot setting. This temperature ensures maximum shrinkage. Linen loves to shrink! To avoid disappointment after washing a finished project, you may want to wash your linen several times to make sure you've washed all the shrink out! Finally, machine dry on a low setting, leaving it a little bit damp if you plan on ironing it.

Looking at the book projects, I noticed a lot of blues, greens, and yellows, used together and separately. Do you find yourself drawn to certain color combinations?

Aqua and turquoise are my favorite colors, so a lot of the fabric in my stash has that color in it one way or another. Pantone named turquoise color of the year for a reason and I may be partially to blame for that. :P I am very partial to blues, greens and yellows and I have to force myself to use other colors sometimes!


Do you use a color tool (a wheel, a flip book) or do you eye it (keeping in mind that you've had design training)?

My days at FIT have certainly come in handy and so I select my colors by eye. I think I've got all the color theory rules and regulations burned into my brain, but I don't necessarily follow those guidelines. I usually choose one print fabric as my base and use that as the springboard for the other fabric I choose. My fabric stash is kept in color order and that always helps me make selections quickly. The great thing about patchwork is being able to experiment with many color combinations. I love that colors and prints don't necessarily have to match to make awesome looking patchwork.

Are you inspired by the colors of things around you?

Plants, shoes, cars, coats, chairs, notebooks, food. You name it, I've gotten inspiration from it. I take a lot of photos of things that I see when I'm out and about if I like the color or the combination of colors. I can go back and look at the photos so that I can use the colors in a project later.

The adjustable calendar. I love how you mentioned that you thought of the idea and had to immediately jump out of bed to work on it. I think many of us can relate to that. Some people keep a notepad by the bed, some a voice recorder. I have a notepad function on my cellphone.

Yes! My favorite project in the book. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning working on the prototype and was so happy that I did. Tired. But happy. I keep a sketchbook where I draw my ideas as they come to me. Most ideas come from me just sitting at my craft table and playing around with fabric and trims.


Do ideas often strike you in what might seem like strange places? Have you ever lost any because you didn't write them down or work on them immediately?

I think that happens to a lot of us. The stranger the place the better the ideas! All of my best ideas come when I'm changing a dirty diaper. Okay not really, but it happens.

I usually have a pretty sharp memory and always surprise my husband with the things I can remember. The only time I have trouble is when I'm pregnant. I'm about 30 weeks along now, so pregnant brain has officially taken over! I haven't lost any ideas(yet) and usually manage to jot them down in some way. On a napkin, a piece of mail, the palm of my hand, my three year old's forehead. You know, the usual places.

I noticed during Friday's Twitter party Jaime Guthals (of Interweave) asked you how much sleep you are getting these days. :) Do you pull creative all-nighters even with kids?

I'm naturally a night owl, so I have no trouble staying up really late, especially if it's to create. I think I do my best work when everyone is safe and sound, tucked in bed and the house is quiet. I can relax my mind and concentrate on just designing. When I was writing the book I would stay up until about 4 in the morning most nights. The children went to daycare and I would work some more during that time as well. The third trimester is certainly taking its toll though, so I only manage to stay up until about midnight now.

And, lastly, everybody's favorite sewing sites are just a little bit different. What are yours?

Ah, there are so many wonderful sites to behold on the internet. I love them them all, but I certainly have my favorites.

My extra favorites are:

Makesomething.ca
petits détails
Saidos da Concha
smallville studio
Tree Fall
Patchwork Pottery
Pink Penguin



This woman... don't you love her sense of humor? :) I'm not sure if I would have ever thought of writing ideas on my three year old's forehead... but then again there was never enough room between his own marker scribbles and that morning's breakfast. I also love that she freely admits her secret to fitting so much in her day is stretching that day until 4 a.m. sometimes. And then paying for it by being tired but happy. I can certainly relate.

Rashida, thank you for being so generous in sharing your time and your knowledge with our readers. Congratulations on a wonderful book.

Be sure to visit Rashida at her blog, I Heart Linen, and for more I Love Patchwork yumminess check out the Flickr group.

Follow The Sew Liberated and I Love Patchwork Double-the-Fun Blog Tour at:

Friday, December 11:
Meg on TrueUp.net (interview)

Saturday, December 12:
Rashida on In the Studio with Cate (studio tour)

Sunday, December 13:
Meg on In the Studio with Cate (studio tour)

Monday, December 14:
Rashida on TrueUp.net (interview)

Tuesday, December 15:
Meg on Apron-iCity.com (interview)

Wednesday, December 16:
Rashida on Fabric Shop Network blog (interview)

Thursday, December 17:
Meg on Grosgrain Fabulous (book review and giveaway)

Friday, December 18:
Rashida Twitter event - Noon EST on Twitter with @iheartlinen
Meg on Living Life as Art (interview, review, and project)

Saturday, December 19:
Meg on CraftyPod.com (book review)

Sunday, December 20:
Rashida on Zakka Life (book review)

Monday, December 21:
Meg on Craftsanity (podcast interview)
Rashida on Craft Critique (interview and book review)

Tuesday, December 22:
Rashida on all buttoned up (interview)

Wednesday, December 23:
Meg on maya*made (interview)

Thursday, December 24:
Designer-to-Designer: Rashida and Meg interview each other on http://www.sewliberated.typepad.com and http://www.iheartlinen.typepad.com

Monday, January 4, 2010:
Blog Tour Winners' Post - to be announced

Does this look like a book you'd put on your Christmas wishlist? Or if you were going to give it as a gift, what sewing tools and goodies might you pair it with?

Post Disclosure

On the Ninth Day

of the Holiday our staff would like to see...


9 Cricut Expressions, 8 Unibind Book Creators, 7 Copic Markers, 6 Knifty Knitters, 5 Heat It tools by Ranger, 4 YUDU Screen Printers, 3 Gingher 8" Dressmaker's Shears, 2 ATG Guns, and some embossing powder from Zing.

It's no secret Craft Critique loves the Cricut Expression. We've tested many an electronic Die Cutting Machine and we think that you can't go wrong with the Cricut. It's priced to buy, super simple to use, and we love the designs Provo Craft designs for the product.

Check out these new cartridges: Sentimentals and Songbird. Adorable and spot on trend!


Read more about why we love the Cricut Expression on Craft Critique.

Visit Consumer Crafts for amazing deals on Cricut cartridges and accessories.


Post link Disclosure

On the Eighth Day

...of the Holiday our staff would like to see...

8 Unibind Book Creators, 7 Copic Markers, 6 Knifty Knitters, 5 Heat It tools by Ranger, 4 YUDU Screen Printers, 3 Gingher 8" Dressmaker's Shears, 2 ATG Guns, and some embossing powder from Zing.

Why the Unibind Book Creator? We liked its ease of use, simplistic design, safety features and sleek footprint. It's a perfect Holiday gift for the Crafter that has everything! You can read more about why we love the Unibind Book Creator here on Craft Critique.


Post Disclosure

On the Seventh Day

On the seventh day of the holidays our staff wants to see...

7 Copic Markers, 6 Knifty Knitters, 5 Heat It tools by Ranger, 4 YUDU Screen Printers, 3 Gingher 8" Dressmaker's Shears, 2 ATG Guns, and some embossing powder from Zing.


We heart Copic Markers... they are the best alcohol based markers in town... in our humble opinion you should be asking Santa for a fist full.  It's not too late!


Check out all our Copic Marker Posts.

Martha Stewart vs. Tsukineko Essential: Glue Pad Wars

Reported by Francie Horton

I may have mentioned in an earlier article that I’m relatively new to the scrapbooking scene. Witness a recent conversation between my husband and me.

“Honey, you won’t believe what I found while I was out running errands and picking up your chips and hot sauce.”

“Mmmmmmmm…”

“Martha Stewart has a glue pad. It’s like a stamp pad but with glue on it! So I can use a rubber stamp with it and then really fine glitter. Isn’t that awesome?”

“Mmmmm hmmm.”

“I can’t believe someone didn’t invent one of these a long time ago. This is genius! I’m headed to the art room to try it out.”

“Uh huh. Oh, hey, before you go… did you get chips and hot sauce?”

I decided to do a little research. Any guess what I found out in the process? Yep. Glue pads have been around for quite awhile. In fact, way before Martha had one, a little company you may have heard of called Tsukineko released the Essential Glue Pad. So which one is better? I made it my mission to find out. Purely selfless purposes, of course. The things I do for you guys.


(note: Stewart Superior also has a Stamp and Stick glue pad but because it is heat activated I did not include it in this comparison.)

Both pads start out dry and you have to “ink” them up with the small bottle of glue that comes in the kits. Be advised this is not regular glue. The Martha Stewart glue is not even the same glue as the one she sells separately as a glitter glue. This is super sticky doesn’t-want-to-wash-off-your-hands glue. When you run out, buy the refill. Don’t skimp and refill with a cheaper substitute. You won’t get the same results.

When you ink up your pads be generous but be sure to work the glue down into the pad. You don’t want to have any glue just sitting on the top of the pad. The pads come with a thin plastic piece on top. Don’t throw it away. It will help keep the pad moist. In between each stamping put it back over the pad. It took about a third to a half of a bottle to ink up the pads the first time. After I did 4-5 images I found that I had to add more glue to the Martha Stewart pad. I didn’t need to with the Essential pad. I have read that you will need to refill your pad every time you have stored it for any length of time.

After you have fully covered your stamp with glue quickly move to your project and stamp your image. You have a little more leeway time once you’ve stamped it onto your cardstock or vellum as far as drying time. In fact, test images done with the Essential pad that didn’t make the cut accidentally got glittered 20 minutes later and I noticed that they grabbed and held just as much and as well as freshly stamped ones. But I found that once I had put the glue on my stamp it immediately starting drying and clogging up the finer details of my stamp. This was especially true with the MS glue. I also had to clean my stamp after every single use with the MS glue even if I was going to use it again immediately. The glue just built up so much in the ridges and fine details. The Martha glue is so sticky it will take small chunks out of your hand-carved stamps when used on the pad so do so with caution.

What does this mean? Does it mean superior adhesion? Or does it mean less detail in your stamped image?

BoBunny Sunburst Clearly Acrylic Stamps

Well, I found the adhesion to be about the same in both pads. But the clarity of detail with the Essential pad is miles above the MS one. The red is with the Essential pad and the blue is the Martha Stewart pad. You can see that the red one shows the detail of the design much better while the blue caught the general design.

with Essential pad

with Martha Stewart pad

In the second one, if you look at the original stamp, you’ll see that there are small “tongues” that protrude all around the paisley design. They are very clear on the red image and only in some portions of the blue.

with Essential pad

with Martha Stewart pad

I also tried using the pads with chalk and embossing powder. The images turned out looking exactly like each other maybe because of the fineness of the medium? I know some have complained that they haven’t gotten good results with micro-beads. I don’t think glue pads are the right adhesive to use with those if you want any sort of detail. You can’t even use Martha Stewart’s “Crystal Coarse” glitter. They just don’t provide enough adhesive to hold on the larger items. Use an ultrafine product and you should have great results. (note: I would like to point you to our own Kristine Fowler’s article on the Tsukineko pad. She had beautiful results with micro-beads. Maybe it’s the way you hold your mouth while you’re doing it.)

As far as adhesion there was a little bit of difference. After letting them both dry for 20 minutes I went back and ran my finger firmly over each image. There was no change in the Essential stamped images. There was slight glitter loss with the MS ones. There was also a color change when the glitter particles laid down in a different direction suggesting that maybe they weren’t as well adhered as I thought. Heavy wear might cause more loss.

Something that helped in my tests is that I used vellum and coated cardstock as recommended on the Essential pad. Both of these allowed the glue to “stand” on top and not soak in before I could sprinkle my goodies.

because everybody likes a hot pink mustache

Let’s wrap it up:

Tsukineko Essential Glue Pad

Pros:

• Seems to take less glue
• Much finer detail
• Better adhesion
• Refill bottle available without pad

Cons:

• Easier to clean (I used a non-alcohol baby wipe which worked fine)
• Recommends Stazon cleaner which isn’t good for acrylic stamps
• May be more difficult to find unless you order it online
  

Martha Stewart Glue Pad:

Pros:

• Readily available
• Less expensive than Tsukineko Essential Glue Pad

Cons:

• Took quite a bit of glue to fill and stamp 3-4 images
• Less detail
• Goobers up in the stamp (Technical term you know)
• Stamp dries out faster
• Hard to clean even with stamp scrubber/brush
• Refill not available in bottle only

Martha, I really wanted to like you. I did.

Do you use a glue pad? If so, what kind? Do you have any tips for anything I might be doing wrong?

Just a Reminder... and Some News...

Just wanted to remind you all that everyday people are talking about Craft Critique related such-and-such on Facebook and Twitter.  We have an amazing Facebook Fan Page you can join, and participate in.  Or shoot us a tweet on Twitter to see what's happening in the high paced world of craft!

More big news, we are sponsoring a unique Handmade Pavilion at the CHA Supershow!  How fun is THAT!?!  We are selecting the most elite craft artisans to participate in the Pavilion.  We still have some spaces available, so please email me at sarah(at)craftcritique(dot)com if you want to know more.  Stay tuned for more about the CHA Supershow, and why you want Santa to buy you a ticket to Anaheim, CA so you can join us!

Craft Critique will be covering the show, as usual, but this time we will also be demonstrating some of our favorite products and tools at the show!  We will also be announcing some HUGE news!  You won't want to miss out!

Cuttlebug Embossing Folders

Reported by Kristine Fowler


If you own the Cuttlebug by Provocraft, you've no doubt used your machine along with a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder to emboss paper. After all, that's why you bought the machine, right? You wanted to add some texture and dimension to your card fronts? Perhaps use one of the Cuttlebug Dies to cut a shape or two? Me too. Big surprise there. But what about embossing items other than paper? Have you tried? Until today, I hadn't. So, I figured why not put it to the test, and see what else this little gem can handle.

Step 1: Find items to test
This went pretty quickly, I simply looked through all of my craft supplies to find items that were flat and that I knew would fit in the machine, or could be cut to size. Much to my surprise, I found several. Here's my list.

1. Corrugated Cardboard Packing Material
2. Lightweight Chipboard (cereal box weight)
3. Generic Craft Foam
4. Linen Stick-Stock by CTMH
5. Clear Envelope from Clear Bags
6. Shrink Plastic
7. Mulberry Paper (manufacturer unknown)
8. Vellum by CTMH
9. Felt
10. Foam Packing Insert
11. Fabric (origins unknown)
12. Foil Sheet by CTMH
13. Adhesive Vinyl by Quickcutz
14. Sandpaper 220 CCR/R Fine by CTMH

Step 2: Cut everything down to a uniform size and start embossing. For my tests, I thought it best to use the same embossing folder for all items to keep things uniform. I chose Tiny Bubbles.

I used the embossing "sandwich" of the A plate, B plate, embossing folder with material inside, with second B plate on top for all items. Most went through smoothly, however on a couple of the thicker items (specifically the foam and the chipboard), I had to use a bit of extra muscle, taking care not to break the machine.

The Results:

Suffice it to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how well most of the items chosen took the impression, and I can definitely see using some of these ideas on future projects. Here are some close-ups so you can see what I mean. The photos are numbered to match the list above.

My personal favorite find in this group is the Foil (Image #12)! The impression was so crisp, and clear! Both the embossed and de-bossed sides are beautiful, and I can totally see incorporating this technique on something ultra-modern or masculine. To have texture is one thing, and shine another, but to have both is phenomenal! Love it!

The shrink plastic (Image #6) looks cool too although I'm not sure what will happen when I shrink it. The impression was again super crisp, and you get a really neat white outline at the raised areas. The vellum (Image #8) was similar, but it doesn't look as clean. For lack of a better way to describe it, it just looks messier.

I can definitely see how adding texture to the adhesive backed vinyl could make for some really interesting wall art. Of course this would work only on those letters or shapes that will fit in the A2 size embossing folders so unfortunately that is a bit limiting.

The big disappointments in my opinion were the felt, the foams (both the packing and the craft varieties) and the fabric. While they did somewhat take the design, the impressions were not deep, and I suspect that over time the impressions might even fade.

Have you had any success with these items or can you share tips on embossing anything other non-paper materials? We'd love to hear about it. Leave us a comment and let us know.

The New Reporters Are....

Still being mulled over!  What can we say, this job is hard... and the least favorite part of what we do here... choosing talent.  So sorry for the delay... but tis the season!

Thank you for your patience!

-Sarah Moore
Editor and Libra.

One of a Kind Show, New York

Reported by Rachel Johnson

The One of a Kind Show and Sale is a yearly event that happens in Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, and for the first time this year, New York City. (You can read Sarah Moore's review of the Chicago show here.) On Friday, I braved the super-cold temperatures and headed out to Pier 94 to check out the show, which was described as an "an extraordinary holiday shopping show featuring the best in fine art and fine craft from hundreds of unique artists, artisans, and designers from across North America." I was very curious to find out what the event had to offer.

My first stop once I was inside the doors was the crafting area. A bunch of cool, crafty companies were hosting "make and take" projects and I wanted to get in on the fun. I stopped by the ReadyMade and Janome booth where you could work on gift tags or sew pillows on Janome sewing machines. I also got to sign up for a complimentary, one-year ReadyMade magazine subscription just for attending the One of a Kind Show! Sweet!

Next, I stopped by the Hello Craft area, where they had all sorts of craft supplies available, including a button maker! Hello Craft is a nonprofit trade organization dedicated to the advancement of independent crafters and the handmade movement. The Hello Craft representatives, Sara and Kim, were so kind and informative that I decided to purchase a Hello Craft membership on the spot!

Then, I headed to the Etsy DIY area. Etsy had adorable fabric ornament kits that you could work on there, or take home to make later. (They had the custom fabric for the ornaments printed at Spoonflower.) I grabbed a kit for later and chatted up the Etsy representatives. They explained how Etsy was excited to be sponsoring both the DIY area and an Etsy Pavilion at the One of a Kind Show because they wanted to help the new wave of crafters break into the more traditional and established arts and craft world. It was great to see such a large website supporting their users in a tangible way!

At the Etsy Pavilion you could find twenty-four juried Etsy vendors all in one area. They also had a welcome booth with lots of information about Etsy.com and some free swag. There were plenty of unique crafts within the pavilion, but my two favorite booths were Gock's Frocks felted wool clothing and Jill K. Davis Jewelry.

Kristen Gocker Hallagan of Gock's Frocks makes adorable children's clothing, stuffed animals, scarves, and more out of fabric and recycled, felted wool sweaters. She works on her craft full time, but has just started branching into the craft show scene. I bought a cute, felted wool flower pin from her that I plan to put on my plain black coat.

Jill K. Davis makes unique and charming silver and gold jewelry that often features a picturesque little house. I was enamored with her detailed work, and promised myself that I would purchase one of her amazing necklaces in the future!

Outside of the Etsy Pavilion there were hundreds of other vendors ranging from jewelry and fashion to food and photography. I kept track of all of my favorite booths, including the one above: Smitten Kitten. The Smitten Kitten booth immediately drew me in. It was all pink and colorful, but the beautiful statement necklaces are what really caught my eye. My little photos above do not do them justice. The designer, Amy, creates the necklaces using chunky, colorful beads and silk kanzashi flowers she has folded using vintage scarves. Oh, how I wanted one! Sadly, the prices were a bit too high for me on the necklaces, so I settled for a very cute, bright pink kanzashi flower pin.

I had a lot of fun checking out the Apexspire Jewelry booth. Above is a photo of Karen Clark, the designer of Apexspire. The understated beaded necklaces and earrings were both simple and detailed at the same time. I had a hard time deciding on only one item, but finally bought a very sweet pair of aquamarine bead earrings.

One of my absolute favorite booths at the One of a Kind Show and previously at the Brooklyn Flea, is the photography of John Murphy. Murphy creates vivid, striking photographs using small sets he constructs in his studio. He then frames the surreal images in super-bright, hand finished frames. I would love to own one of Murphy's pieces, but for now I am making due with his Flora & Fauna stationery set.

Last but not least on my list of favorite vendors is the Rogue Confections booth. This booth blew me away with the beautiful design of both the environment and the intricate patterns printed on the handmade Belgian chocolates. I was amazed to learn that founder, Sherri Adler, was doing the initial launch of Rogue Confections right there at the One of a Kind show - everything about the booth was extremely professional and lovely. The free samples of the chocolate were delicious, and I will definitely keep the box sets in mind for future gift giving.

Overall, the One of a Kind show was a lot of fun and I got to check out a bunch of new crafters and network with many creative folks. The only downside is that I overheard a lot of the vendors express disappointment with the level of shopper turnout. A few people told me that they had talked to more press representatives and shop owners than actual holiday shoppers.

Did you attend the One of a Kind Show in any of its locations? What did you think? Did the number of shoppers pick up on the weekend in NY? Did you buy any holiday gifts or something for yourself at the show?

On the sixth day

On the sixth day of the holidays our staff wants to see...

...6 Knifty Knitters, 5 Heat It tools by Ranger, 4 Yudus, 3 Gingher 8" Dressmaker's Shears, 2 ATG Guns, and some embossing powder from Zing.

Not all of the Craft Critique staff members want this product as a gift. Do you want to know why? It's because this product by Provocraft is so much fun that one of us may have already bought it as a gift. Ok, you caught me, my name is Amanda and I am a knit gadget fiend. I've already bought the Knifty Knitter kit that comes with everything needed to get started. I'm going to give it to my 8 year-old daughter along with a big pile of fun and colorful yarn.

The thing is, my 8 year-old loves to craft. I love to knit and I have tried to teach her several times but she just doesn't have the patience for it yet. That doesn't keep her from wanting fingerless gloves, a scarf, and a hat to go with every outfit. This gift should be perfect for her fashionista side and her inner craft goddess. With a knit mama, even if she doesn't like it, my money is not wasted. It will be hard for me to wait for her to finish something before I can start.

If you would like to know more about the Knifty Knitter, check out this great post.

One of a Kind Show and Renegade... All in One Weekend!

Reported by Sarah Moore

I am pretty darn lucky... living near Chicago is pretty much the best deal around. I am about 40 miles NW of the city. I can get there in under an hour, but I don't have to cope with city life every day. The parking alone would do me in. Chicago has a wonderful craft and arts community; last weekend was chock full of fun crafty stuffs to do...

Last Friday my buddy and fellow CC reporter Martha Bonneau and I went to the One of a Kind Show at the Merchandise Mart. The Mart is an interesting place, lots of nooks and crannies to hide exhibitors in. Unfortunately I don't think it always makes for the best show space. Expensive parking, difficult space to navigate, and while this show touted "one of a kind" we saw a lot we has seen before.

Of course we managed to find some wonderfulness in the bunch... here's a sampling of what we loved, and thought was truly One of a Kind. b Be sure to visit these nice crafty folks. Buy handmade this holiday!

The Mullanium Jewelry and Songbird Collection is amazing in person. Capturing the detail of these birds on film is almost impossible, as each piece is unique and fully detailed. Created from found objects, these are individual works of art, a perfect gift for the antiquity appreciator.

Yes... it's a baby bird... get it? cute right?

Kiku Handmade creates these tiles, trivets and jewelry pieces with a unique process of silkscreening within fused glass! Be sure to visit their Etsy Site to view available jewelry items... Love these designs and colors!

Alisa Miller created this interesting jewelry. I love the circles... it's industrial and delicate at the same time!

Funny Story, Jen Hopwood of My Perennial is not only super talented, but she also went to my High School! She was also on the Martha Stewart Show, so now I am now only one degree from Martha! The world of craft is small and wonderful!

I love these snap on embellishments... she sells t-shirts and headbands with snaps. Cool! Visit Jen's website to see all her wonderfulness.

Emmy Star Brown had Craft Critique Facebook Fan Page readers to thank for helping her source the best deals on clear glass ornaments. Here is what she did with them! Lovely!

Oh how we love when Art and Craft collide! Thanks to Dolan Geiman we can show you these wonderful items... We think it's great when an artist offers artwork in multiple price ranges. These small pieces were priced for any budget! Plus Dolan is fascinating, he had so much to share about the world of craft/marketing.

I have been a spy of Little Korboose for some time now. Who can resist a well executed robot doodle? I love these melamine plates and trays. They also make totes and T's for tots!

Last but certainly not least... my fave, a kooky couple of kids from Indiana. Kellee and Matt of OveRduE InduStrIes have a library card for a business card. They make these awesome bound journals from vintage books. The journals contain select (wonderful) pages from said book, and lots of blank sheets too.

We loved how they have a library pocket in the front of the book that's card is stamped with the day your book was made, and the day you bought it!

Kellee and Matt are also into collage and they use ALL the pages from the books they dismantle for the journals in other projects... like the cool brooches below.

Ok... in retrospect there was a lot of great stuff at this show... but it was a huge show! Our favorite section was the Etsy Pavilion... many of these artists were found there. We also loved to see sponsors Janome and ReadyMade Magazine had teamed up to craft on site! We love to see crafting AT a craft show. We don't think it's done nearly enough!

Stay tuned for more of my Crafty Chicago weekend tomorrow! I have so many shots of Renegade to show off! Boy, I have lots of editing to do! and btw... does anyone else dislike the new blogger photo upload process as much as we do? We are in a big hurry to move this site to Wordpress!

Have great weekend!