Combo Pack

Most creative types will admit that they like to dabble in more than one type of craft. So crafters who are interested in both felting and jewelry making will enjoy author and designer Gail Crossman Moore's kits for making various types of felted jewelry projects. All kits come with everything needed to do the project, including dyed wool roving and illustrated instruction pages on felting. The jewelry kits include beads and findings. Kits can be ordered in a variety of colors including rose, plum, black, rust and gold.

For more information or to order your own kit, visit Moore's website at
www.gailcrosmanmoore.com and click on "Shop." Prices range from $26 for her Felt Acorn Earrings kit to $56 for her felt Treasure Pouch kit.

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Upcoming Craft Books: September 2007

Labor day weekend is coming up! If you have a few extra days off, why not check out some new craft books and get some fresh ideas? Here are some of my favorites being released in the month of September.

With Fall weather on the way, crochet and knitting books seem quite popular for September. Included in the mix are the Pattern-a-Day 2008 Calendars for both knitting and crochet, Everyday Crochet: Wearable Designs Just for You, Contemporary Classics: 24 Elegant Knits with a Modern Twist and KnitKnit: Profiles + Projects from Knitting's New Wave. Those who want to risk the so-called sweater curse can find patterns especially for men in two new books, The Knitting Man(ual): 20+ Projects for Guys and Knitting for Him: 27 Classic Projects to Keep Him Warm.

Jewelry and beading fans will also find plenty of books to love. Author Tair Parnes uses unique items like drawer pulls and fishing lures to create 19 different projects in Jewelry and Accessories from Everyday Objects: 19 Unique Projects Inspired by Found Objects and Ready-Made Materials while Brenda Schweder uses bike chains and a cloth measuring tapes for her found object jewelry book, Junk to Jewelry: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Found Objects in Jewelry You Can Actually Wear. Fabric is the material (get it?) of choice in the book Incredible Fabric Jewelry: Over 40 Ways to Create Fabulous Fabric Necklaces Bracelets Corsages and More. Beaders who love using vintage materials will enjoy Kaari Meng's French-Inspired Jewelry: Creating with Vintage Beads, Buttons & Baubles. Looking to create beaded items for your home as well? Look no further than Mickey Baskett's Dazzling Bead & Wire Crafts, which also contains jewelry ideas.

Crafters looking for a different way to use their skills will enjoy Tom Nardone's wonderfully cheeky Extreme Pumpkins: Diabolical Do-It-Yourself Designs to Amuse Your Friends and Scare Your Neighbors. Creator of the famous puking pumpkin, Nardone's various project instructions include Crime Scene Pumpkin, Cannibal Pumpkin and Electrocuted Pumpkin. Halloween has never looked better.

Japanese craft lovers can look forward to two craft books, the newly translated Beadweaving Brilliance: Make Beautiful Jewelry as You Learn Off-Loom Techniquesby Kumiko M. Ito and expat Robertta Uhl's Holiday Paper Crafts from Japan: 17 Easy Projects to Brighten Your Holiday Season....

Until next time, happy crafting!

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How Cool Are Your Jewels?

Teenagers can be a wonderfully fickle bunch. Something that was trendy last week is out this week, never to be seen or worn again. Which is why the hobby of jewelry making is perfect for teen and tween girls. Necklaces, earrings and bracelets can be easily created and then taken apart and made into something else when the mood strikes. And any teen who wants to show off her creative skills will love Naomi Fujimoto's Cool Jewels: Beading Projects for Teens.

But don't let the title fool you, this book is great even for older girls (ahem) who are looking for some fresh ideas or beginners who are interested in jewelry making.

The book starts out with the basics of bead types, findings and tools needed, as well as a section on different techniques used to make jewelry. The rest of the book is divided into chapters concentrating on the different types of projects that can be made: necklaces, bracelets, earrings and a section of 'more ideas' that includes beaded snowflake ornaments, stack rings and a chain belt.

Cool Jewels also contains concise instructions and full-color photos of each project in several stages, which makes it helpful for beginners. Many different styles are illustrated, including a long and girly "Pretty in Pink" necklace, a simple pendant hung on a cord, a chunky wooden bracelet using memory wire, a bracelet bursting with charms and funky earrings made from chains. So whether your teen is princessy, crunchy or punky, she'll find something in this book to her liking. Fujimoto also includes instructions on how teens can host a cool jewels party and get creative with friends.

Although the book provides listings of internet sources, the majority of materials can easily be found at your local craft or beading store, making it perfect for those teens who are anxious to get started on these fun projects.

Difficulty: Newbie to Advanced Beginner.

ETC: Check out one of the book's projects with this PDF for the Round & Round Necklace!

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Wake Up!

I'm not a morning person. I never understood those people who sprung out of bed bright eyed and cheerful, ready to take on the world. Even if I'm technically awake, I'm not really fully conscious until at least 9 or 10 AM. That's why I absolutely love Hambone and Jennicakes eye quilts.

Each eye shade is handmade and has a cloth-covered elastic band to fit a variety of head sizes. They are hand-embroidered with a variety of sayings including 'sod off,' 'hung over,' 'love coma' 'dream,' 'do not disturb,' 'piss off' and the ever popular 'f*** off' (uncensored on the actual product). Apparently I'm not the only one who doesn't like being woken up unexpectedly! They run $24, but some of them are on sale at Funky Utopia. Hambone and Jennicakes also sells cupcake quilts and retro-inspired aprons.

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Decisions, Decisions. . .

Yarn making you yawn? Bored with beading? Feeling scrapped out? Sick of sewing? Maybe your problem is that you need a new hobby. But with so many out there, how do you chose? ReadyMade contributing editor Tina Barseghian wants to help narrow your new hobby search with her book Get a Hobby! 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle.

The book starts off with a (rather tongue-in-cheek) hobby personality quiz to help determine which of the 101 hobbies listed in the book best suit the reader's personality. The rest of the book devotes itself to a two page synopsis of each hobby, listed in alphabetical order.

Many of the 101 hobbies described are pretty common, but there are several unique ones as well. These include composting, dumpster diving, gravestone rubbing, mushroom hunting, olive oil infusion, seed trading and storm chasing. Each hobby description includes a list of the supplies needed, an overview of what the hobby is, its history, how to get started, additional resources, what type of personality is best suited for this hobby, and a beginner project. Some of the entries also include short profiles of those that practice it.

My only complaint about the hobbies listed is that some involve the use of live animals. While Barseghian provides ample warning of time and effort involved, I would hate to see anyone give these hobbies a "try" only to decide that it wasn't for them.

The cover of Get a Hobby! is a wonderfully attention-getting photo of two models piled high with accessories and clothing suited for different activities, but unfortunately the inside design isn't as well done. The pages are pretty easy to read, but only use two ink colors, green and orange. It also would have been nice to see photos of the projects instead of simplistic illustrations.

While not meant to be a comprehensive source, the book is a great starting off point for anyone interested in learning a little something about a hobby they might not have considered before.

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Upcoming Crafty Books: July 2007

July is almost here and new craft books are on the horizon! Next month's selections range from knitting to art cards to everyone's favorite childhood building blocks, Legos. And of course where would we be without at least one Japanese craft book?

Girls who love purses should enjoy Marie Enderlen-Debuisson and Caroline Laisne's Chic Bags: 22 Handbags, Purses, Totes, and Accessories to Make. It promises bags to suit every occasion, from shopping to an evening out. Fabrics used include cotton, felt, taffeta, fleece, and even a pattern made using a tablecloth.

Embellishing and reconstructing clothing is still a popular craft, and Sonya Nimri adds her ideas to the mix with the book Just for the Frill of It: 25 Flirty, Fabulous Styles to Make from Clothes You Already Own. Projects aren't just limited to clothes, however. Nimiri shows readers how to make purses, shoe clips and even something for your furry friend. Although no sneak peek of her book is available, she seems to have some similar ideas on her website.

The Yarn Girls are releasing their fifth book in July, The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for All Seasons: Sweaters and Accessories for Men and Women. This book contains over 40 projects, centered around a seasonal theme for those that want to wear their knitted creations year round. Each chapter has patterns for six women’s sweaters, two men’s sweaters and one accessory for spring, summer, winter and fall.

Although it would be labeled more creative than crafty, who wouldn't love to build a Lego catapult that shoots M&Ms or a paper airplane launcher? In Forbidden LEGO: Build the Models Your Parents Warned You Against authors Ulrik Pilegaard and Mike Dooley (both former LEGO employees) show you how to build fun items like these combining LEGOs and household objects like plastic spoons and rubber bands. They also devote a chapter on how to start building your own LEGO designs.

Featuring projects no bigger than 3.5 x 5 inches, Teeny Tiny Cards: Little Projects That Make a Big Impression is a collection of cards from various artists using different techniques such as stamping, painting, stitching, painting, and altering found objects. Over 40 different projects are featured, including place cards, gift tags, bookmarks and business cards.

While publishers are just now beginning to translate Japanese craft books into English, author Kumiko Sudo has been writing books on Japanese crafts for English speaking audiences since the 1990s. Her latest, Wagashi: Handcrafted Fashion Art from Japan, is a collection of 20 handcrafted fabric jewelry projects (necklaces, bracelets and earrings) made from silk or cotton. Sudo also provides step-by-step instructions for the Japanese knot work, beading and fabric origami used in several of the designs. If her other books are any indication, even people not interested in making the projects shown will enjoy the many beautiful photos and author comments throughout the book.




Remember, if you have any suggestions for craft-related books, magazines, products or websites you think I should review, drop me an email at jodigrrl(at)gmail(dot)com!

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Do You Like Me? Do You Really Like Me?

Hey crafters and creative types! Craftophile is now on MySpace! That's right, Craftophile has joined one of the largest social networking sites around. So wander on over and add me as a friend! You can find me here: http://www.myspace.com/craftophile

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Attention New England Crafters!

The Creative Bazaar is an indie craft fair taking place October 13, 2007 in Cape Cod, MA. They are currently looking for independent crafters.


Vendor applications are being accepted now through July 15th, 2007. Each space is $100 and comes with a table and chairs. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by August 1st, 2007.

The Creative Bazaar is taking place during justBe...Connected; a weekend gathering for Creative Bloggers.

For more information, visit the Just Be Connected website, or email organizer Melba McMullin with any questions at melbamcmullin@comcast.net

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