We have Winners!

There was such a great response to my contest! I hope you all had a chance to go back and read the entries! There were some amazing stories and I’ll admit several of them made me cry!

Using Random.org’s Sequence Generator, the numbers chosen were 4 and 44! 

#4 was Wimzie Prints with this:

When my husband and I were dating I made him a handmade card. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, since my family made handmade cards all the time. But when he opened it he started crying (wowsers!) He said nobody had ever made him a card before. Looking back I wonder if he did that just to make me fall in love with him even more. In any case, it worked! 

October 25, 2011 5:10 PM 

#44 was Alison with this:

Boy is it difficult to pick just 1. Coming from a crafting family there have been so many handmade gifts given & received. What comes to mind right now is the hand made silver bead rosary my brother & his wife made & gave me for Christmas last year. They also made them for my mother & 2 sisters, as well. I think it comes to mind because my sister-in-law passed away this week. When we opened the boxes on Christmas eve she was glowing with anticipation & pride. Being Jewish, she didn’t use a rosary herself, but knew that my mother uses one everyday when she attends morning mass. It was a very beautiful & thoughtful gift.

If I’m chosen I think I’d love to make an Oompa-Loopma for my husband. C&tCF is his favorite movie of all time 🙂

BTW…I’m planning to make Chairy to go with the PeeWee doll I gave my nephew last year. Can’t wait to get to it 🙂

Thanks so much again for sharing your amazing talent with so many people!

October 26, 2011 11:43 AM

Congratulations! I will be contacting each of you to get your information. Thank you everyone for being a fan on Facebook and for reading my blog! The stories you shared mean so much 🙂

2,000 Facebook Fans Contest!

Over the weekend my Facebook page got its 2,000th fan! To celebrate, I’ve come up with a contest to reward a couple of lucky people.

The main reason I started CraftyisCool was to make stuff for my kids. Then every time there was a birthday or holiday, I made something for someone. If you make stuff, you know the absolute feeling of joy that comes from using your hands to make something and giving it to someone you care about. The look on his or her face, the comments, the appreciation: they are the payoff for your hours of hard work.

I’ve been on the other end of this too. I have a big family and now that there are lots of grandkids, we adults draw names at Christmas to buy one gift for one person. Last year my twin sister knit me a pair of slippers. I cried! The sentiment was so touching. I know the hard work that goes into something like that and it just made me feel so special to know someone had spent the time to make something just for me.

So here’s the contest!

FIRST: Like CraftyisCool on Facebook (if you haven’t already)

SECOND:
Post a comment below telling everyone either:
1) the best handmade gift you ever gave to someone and their reaction;
OR
2) the best handmade gift you ever received and how it made you feel.
Also include your email address and your choice of prize (listed below).

On Friday, October 28, at 5:00 cst I will randomly select TWO winners from all of the comments and post them here and on my Facebook page. Each winner will receive a special CraftyisCool amigurumi kit! The kit will include a hard copy of a pattern, the yarn needed (a full skein in the colors I recommend), and any notions (eyes, thread, etc). If you crochet, you’ll get a full project to make for the holidays! If you don’t crochet, this will be the perfect jumpstart! Or you can gift your package to someone you love.

You will get your choice of these kits:

Alice

Oompa Loompa

Assistant Regional Manager

Pee-wee Herman

Conan O’Brien

PLEASE remember to LIKE CraftyisCool and PLEASE include your email address in your comment. I will not be able to directly contact you if you won unless your email address is included in your reply!

Thank you so much for liking what I do! Be sure to let your friends know too.

Conan in NYC!

Today is the opening of the NYC MOCA (Museum of Conan Art)! Two of my pieces are in the show, the Conan Blimp and my little Conan doll! Anyone in New York should get over there. Besides the artwork there is an audio tour starring Conan and Andy, and a Conan “loveseat” that sounds amazing. Who’s going??

Here are the details:

WHEN: October 24 — November 3, 2011, 9am — 9pm
WHERE: The Shops at Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center, 2nd floor, New York
The NY COCO MoCA exhibit will feature:
•    More than 50 pieces of CONAN fan art in a wide variety of media;
•    An audio tour of select pieces, voiced by Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter;
•    An original, commissioned sculpture of Conan by artist Federico Uribe, represented by Miami’s Now Contemporary Art Gallery;
•    The CONAN Loveseat, Team Coco’s interactive robotic couch sculpture that talks to fans, hugs them and takes a picture for them to share through social media;
•    Numerous chances each day for gallery visitors to win special prizes, including autographed CONAN posters, museum buttons, limited-edition t-shirts and more (while supplies last).

The Conan Blimp and lil’ Coco

Billy Wins! The King of Kong

This summer I was invited to have some of my work in the iam8bit show in LA. It was a fun, crazy trip, and I realized I never blogged about my pieces!

I had two pieces in the show, and I’ll show you the second at a later date. The first piece is titled, “Billy Wins!” Please tell me you’ve watched the documentary “King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters“! It is such a great film, full of fascinating people, one of whom is Billy Mitchell. Billy claims to be the reigning champ of the classic arcade game, Donkey Kong, and in the movie, his arch-nemesis, Steve Wiebe, attempts to pin him down to a championship battle. The highlight of the movie for me (and I’m sure many others) is Billy Mitchell. He is so interesting, in a cocky and self-absorbed way. I drew my inspiration for this piece from him. Billy Mitchell has conquered Donkey Kong and in an ultimate act of victory, lies down on a Donkey Kong-skin rug, giving his trademark thumbs-up sign. Of course Billy would not be without his favorite star spangled tie, and his long flowing locks and full beard complete the look.

Billy Wins!

Billy Wins! at the gallery

Me and Billy!

What I wouldn’t give to have a photo of Billy Mitchell with little Billy!

I hope you like him too! If you really really like him, he is for sale on the iam8bit gallery website.

Free Pattern Friday! Spooky String of Sheep(ish) Spiders

Happy Fall! My favorite time of the year starts in September at my house. I know the calendar says that it’s still summer, but as soon as August is over, my kids are begging me to get out our big Rubbermaid container of Halloween decorations. Lots of the decorations are handmade, from paper plate Jack-o-lanterns to dried glue ghosts, and even though they’re not store-bought, they are the ones worth the most to us.

When Vickie Howell asked me to do a guest blog post for Caron using her Sheep(ish) yarn, I knew I had to take advantage of the amazing color palette she chose for her brand. Usually Halloween is all orange and black, and more recently purple, but I decided to have some fun and take a few liberties. This is where you get to use your imagination (and your stash of Sheep(ish)!) to make as many brightly colored spiders you want. Mix and match pipe cleaners to give them creepy crawly legs of all sorts. Of course if you want your decoration a little scarier and a lot more traditional, you can make them all black.
You might be “spooked” to find out how quickly this decoration comes together! If you’re a beginner, check out my Baby Monster pattern to learn how to do an adjustable ring.

Sheep(ish) Spiders!

You will need…

Yarn: 
 Stitch.Rock.Love Sheep(ish) by Caron
  Red(ish)
  Lime(ish)
  Hot Pink(ish)
  Magenta(ish)
  Lime(ish)
  Black(ish)


Hook:
  Size E/3.5 mm
  Size G/4.0 mm 

Notions:
  Black safety eyes (6mm)
  Polyester stuffing  
  Yarn needle
  Embroidery needle
  Black embroidery floss
  Pipe cleaners (I used silver)

Key: 
ch: chain 
sc: single crochet 
st: stitch 

Spider body

SPIDER:
Starting at top of head, make an adjustable ring, ch 1, and sc 6 into the ring. Pull closed.
Rnd 1: Work 2 sc into each st (12)
Rnd 2: (2 Sc into next st, sc into next st)* rep to end of round (18)
Rnd 3: (2 Sc into next st, sc into next 2 st)* rep to end of round (24)
Rnds 4-5: sc into each st (24)
Rnd 6: (Sc2tog, sc into next 2 st)* rep to end of round (18)
Rnd 7: (Sc2tog, sc into next st)* rep to end of round (12)
*Insert safety eyes and stuff spider firmly.
Rnd 8: Sc2tog around (6)
Fasten off. Use yarn tail to sew opening closed.
Using embroidery needle and black embroidery floss, embroider a “v” shape with loose stitches where the mouth belongs. Loose stitches will make the smile curve. Knot the floss and hide within the body.

Insert pipe cleaners through last rows of body.

Cut pipe cleaners in half. The standard length of a pipe cleaner is 12″, so just make sure you have four 6″ lengths (two pipe cleaners) for each spider. Insert each half pipe cleaner through the bottom of the spider’s body and out through the other side. Bend the pipe cleaners as shown above.


WEB
With Black(ish) yarn and a G hook, crochet a chain long enough to drape across the area you wish to hang your String of Spiders. I hung mine on the mantle and chained 275 stitches. Fasten off and set aside.


ASSEMBLY
With Black(ish) and a yarn needle, thread varying lengths of yarn into the tops of the Spiders’ bodies. Knot close to the surface and pull tail to pull knot inside. Tie the other end of the yarn to the Web. Space the spiders evenly across its length. Hang as desired.


*If the spiders are to be given to children as toys, please omit the safety eyes and embroider them, and use strands of yarn for the legs instead of pipe cleaners.

Happy Halloween!

Lavender Lament

This is the most random thing I have ever blogged about. That’s a warning. It doesn’t really have anything to do with crocheting, but I feel it needs to be discussed.

If you know me, you might know that I shop at Bath and Body Works. A lot. You might also know that I have a lot of candles. A lot. I don’t want to go into that, but just understand that I know what I’m talking about when I say I found a good one.

I present to you, Lavender Caramel.

Bath and Body Works produced this candle as a test scent. It was only available in “test stores” across the country.

You might recognize the little sister to Lavender Caramel, Lavender Macaroon. (Um, check out all those reviews!)

Let’s not get sidetracked on the inaccuracy of the name. The picture shows French macarons, something totally different from the sticky sweet coconut macaroons we all are familiar with. Anyway, the Lavender Macaroon mini candle was released as a part of the Paris Amour fragrance launch (which I LOVE). This was as big as Lavender Macaroon got. At 3 for $5, I tried it. It is amazing. There are comments all over the internet that it smells like a McGriddle, StoveTop stuffing, etc. but I think it’s great. It’s not too sweet, like pancakes (I’m talking to YOU, Pumpkin Caramel Latte!) and it’s not too cologne-y, like Mountain Leaves. It’s a really nice soft caramel scent with lavender. Just like the name implies.

The candle seems to be very popular. Google either name and you’ll find message board posts and reviews begging the company to widely produce it. For some reason, Bath and Body Works has announced that it will not be sent to stores nationwide and will be discontinued after the supply is gone from the test stores.

This is my plea to Bath and Body Works! Please, for the love of all sophisticated candle fans out here, make this candle available to the rest of the nation!

Now for a tie in, here’s some cute amigurumi posing with my un-lit Lavender Caramel candle. (No it isn’t for sale, but if you know of anyone else selling theirs, please forward me their information.)

Kirby is sucking up the Lavender Caramel!

Pee-wee found a new friend!

Beets, Bears, Battlestar Galactica, and Bath and Body Works.

Max is WILD about this candle!

Oompa Loompa Doopety Do. I’ve got another candle for you.

Ms. Pac-man, that’s not a ghost!

I promise my next post will be back on track. 🙂