GIVEAWAY: 3 Copies of Craft-A-Day

Think crafting is only for experienced folks with special skills, fancy tools, and plenty of free time? Come on. We all know that isn't true. Craft-a-Day, Quirk Books' latest crafting book, offers 365 (you heard me) simple and unique projects that casual crafters and everyday people will find easy and fun to make, all year long.

This colorful hardback collection of crafty goodness is full of easy-to-follow instructions that are accompanied by handy patterns and over 400 photographs. Author Sarah Goldschadt organized the projects into playful weekly themes, ranging from holidays and seasons to animals and shapes. Weekly themes include Ladybug Week (make ladybug pins!), Owl Week (learn how to make adorable stuffed owlies!), Cloud Week (make a cloud stencil notebook!), and more. Best of all, there's a Gnome Week early on that includes instructions for creating a gnome card, cupcake topper, and more.

I think the most important thing to know about Craft-A-Day is that the instructions are simple & the supplies are minimal, making it perfect for beginners & kids. BUT...the projects can easily be kicked up a notch by advanced crafters adding their own spin. Craft-A-Day makes a great gift for yourself and others because it will entertain you all year long & it will definitely kick-start your creativity!

I had the opportunity to ask Sarah a few questions & her responses are below. Visit her website for craft projects & other tidbits, as well as her Facebook page. And, be sure to visit Quirk Books' site to download 6 EXCLUSIVE BONUS PROJECTS by Sarah! (above photo from Sarah's blog)

1. Please give us a short background description of yourself. I was born in Denmark, grew up in Minnesota, attended college and started my graphic design career in Iowa. Seven years ago I found my way to New York and currently live in a 5th floor walk-up studio in Hells Kitchen. I've worked in magazine publishing for 10 years and I'm currently a freelancer. I float around to different offices and work for various (print and digital) magazines during the day, but I try and take as much time off to travel between gigs. (photo by Tanveer Badal, from Sarah's website)

What inspired you to write Craft-A-Day? Margaret McGuire, an editor at Quirk Books approached me with the title (I was a contributing crafter for Microcrafts and Witch Craft) and we brainstormed various ways a craft a day could be done. I thought breaking down the projects based on weekly themes was more manageable and once you had the supplies it would be easy to make more projects.

What is your absolute favorite craft from the book? It's hard for me to choose! Some days I really love Whale week. Other days it's Gnome week. But I think my standard favorite is Owl Week.

Any other craft books or projects for us to look forward to in the near future? I'm slowly updating my blog with new projects and editing photos from my Bangladesh/Laos/Thailand trip in February. Since I work in an office during the day, my biggest obstacle is finding the time to make all the projects that constantly swim in my head. Someday I also hope to design my own craft app or digital magazine for the iPad.

What does handmade mean to you? To me handmade is the art of creating a project from start to finish with your hands.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Megan, Trishden & Wendy! ***

PRIZES: Three lucky winners will receive a copy of Craft-a-Day! Continental US only, please.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post noting whether you would happily keep the book for yourself or if you have someone in mind who would love to receive it as a gift.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Share this giveaway at least one way - on Facebook, your blog or website, Twitter, etc. - and leave a comment on this post noting you have done so. Thank  you!

ENDS: 9pm CST, Wednesday, October 10th.

Event Sponsor: Creative Collective Fort Worth

Creative Collective Fort Worth, located at 3526 W. Vickery Blvd. in Fort Worth, Texas, is a collective of local artisans, craftsmen & vintage "pickers" selling their wares in a micro boutique setting. With the motto Re-purposed, Up-cycled, and Unique Handmade Items, Creative Collective FW provides a one-stop opportunity to buy directly from a variety of local makers, creators and collectors.

This shop is filled with tons of uniquely hand-crafted items, as well as many vintage pieces you won't find anywhere else. The various artisans offer items ranging from paintings to quilts and everything in between. One of the most interesting collections features carved wooden angels (pictured - click for larger view) created by a teenage girl! I love discovering young funky finds!

We are excited to have Creative Collective on-board as a fall event sponsor as it's a perfect tie-in for what we do. Which is of course promote handmade! Attendees will have the opportunity to visit with the store owner, Angela Estrada, at the event. Be sure to follow the Creative Collective blog and Facebook page for updates & more information. And see more photos of our recent visit to the shop via Facebook.

If you are interested in possibly selling your work through Creative Collective, here is some basic information.

1. All items are either up-cycled (an old lamp redone with hand painted shade), re-purposed (a suitcase made into a dog bed) or handmade.

2. Artists are selected on a jury basis. Six to eight pictures are requested of your work and a panel of artists will decide whether or not your creations will work at the shop (this varies from season to season as our offerings change).

3. Rents range from $90 (small table space) to $200 (large wall space) a month on a six month lease and are possible as space is available.

Please email angela@creativecollectivefortworth.com to submit your inquiry.

Event Sponsor: Madtosh Crafts

Madelinetosh has been producing high-quality hand-dyed yarns since 2006. Today their colorway selections exceed 104 different shades & hues! The yarns are created in Fort Worth, Texas, and have for years been shipped to stores worldwide. However, there were not any local businesses carrying their products. This is what inspired the opening of Madtosh Crafts, a beautiful yarn & craft supply store located at 4119 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth, TX.

The shop, which opened earlier this year, is very zen-like. Its minimal decor makes all the beautiful yarns & fabric the focal point. In addition to offering Madelinetosh yarns, they also offer a wide variety of yarns & supplies from various indie companies.

Many locals have already had the opportunity to enjoy in-store events, such as a knit-along during the Olympics. Also, every Thursday night is knit night at Madtosh Crafts. Upcoming events include the appearance of the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who will be presenting her lecture "This is Your Brain on Knitting" on September 25th. Stephen West of Westknits will be in-store on September 29th. Although his workshop is sold out, there may still be a few tickets left for the after party featuring cocktails after the workshop. Stephen will also be signing copies of his book and showing off his awe-inspiring trunk show.

Want to learn about upcoming events? Be sure to subscribe to Madtosh Crafts' email newsletter. Their Facebook page is also a great place to receive real-time updates. You can meet the great staff behind Madtosh Crafts at Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience on November 10 & 11, too! See more photos from our recent visit on Funky Finds' Facebook page.

Event Sponsor: Plaid Enterprises

One of our generous Funky Finds fall event sponsors is Plaid Enterprises. They are the makers of many brands, including Mod Podge, FolkArt, and Martha Stewart Crafts.

Amongst the newest Martha Stewart products are the glass paints & stencils. You can create versatile and beautiful painted glass with the new Martha Stewart Glass Paint, available in a lovely palette of 120 colors and seven unique finishes, hand-selected by Martha. Use with Adhesive Stencils, Silkscreens and Paintable Clings to create amazing glass gifts and home accents.

DISCOUNT: Visit the Plaid website for a 30% discount on all Martha Stewart Products through October 3rd!

The Plaid website has lots of project ideas, such as these great snow flake mugs. Be sure to follow Plaid on Facebook and Pinterest for more ideas. And don't miss their terrific blogs (Paint Me Plaid, Mod Podge Rocks, and Plaid Kids Crafts) showing all kinds of craft projects, as well as giveaways.

Plaid generously donated THE ENTIRE LINE of Martha Stewart Crafts glass paints & stencils as a raffle prize (pictured at left) to be given away at our upcoming event, Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience! Raffle tickets are just $1.00 and all raffle proceeds benefit Toys For Tots and the Humane Society of North Texas. We hope to see you there!!!

Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience

On November 10 & 11, Funky Finds will host our eighth handmade event in Fort Worth, Texas. With over 140 vendors, Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience will be our largest indie art & craft show to date.

WHEN: 10am-5pm, Saturday, November 10 and
11am-4pm, Sunday, November 11

WHERE: Amon G. Carter Exhibits Bldg. at Will Rogers Memorial Center,
3400 Burnett-Tandy Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76104 (Directions)

ADMISSION: Free!

The family and pet-friendly event features a wide variety of talented artists, crafters & designers selling their unique hand-crafted items ranging from accessories to pet goods and everything in between. Five Texas-based authors will also be signing and selling their latest books.

Funky Finds is known not only for promoting handmade worldwide, but also for supporting a wide variety of charities. Each event features a charitable raffle & all proceeds benefit Toys For Tots and the Humane Society of North Texas. Raffle tickets are $1.00 each and the first 75 attendees each day to purchase five or more tickets will receive a Funky Finds shopping tote filled with magazines, product samples, coupons & more. Those who bring a new unwrapped toy for Toys For Tots will receive one free raffle ticket. The Humane Society will be facilitating on-site pet adoptions and the organization Don't Forget To Feed Me will be accepting pet food donations throughout the event.

For the first time, we will also be selling event t-shirts printed by Quackerbox Creations, Ltd. T-shirts will be $10 each and ALL PROCEEDS benefit the Humane Society of North Texas!

The event is generously sponsored by Fort Worth-based businesses Madtosh Crafts, a yarn & craft supply store (4119 Camp Bowie Blvd.); Creative Collective, a shop featuring a wide variety of re-purposed, up-cycled & handmade items created by local artisans (3526 W. Vickery Blvd.); The Artful Bead, the most popular retail bead store in North Texas (5304 Trail Lake Dr.); and Cabbage Rose Fabrics & Quilting (3000 Montgomery St.). Additional sponsors are Quackerbox Creations, Ltd. based in Dallas, BUST Magazine, Yelp.com, Plaid Enterprises, and Right On! Graphics.

Funky Finds provides area residents with the opportunity to support a large number of local artisans & charitable organizations, as well as the chance to purchase unique items that are lovingly hand-crafted.

*BOOKLET ADVERTISING: There's still time to purchase a full-color ad or business listing in the event booklet. Details here.