Don't Buy - DIY!

My friend and studio neighbor, Angela Gleason, is having an event at her studio, The Jewelry Toolery, on Black Friday called Don't Buy - DYI. Anyone is invited to sign up and visit her studio that day (during your designated sign-up time) and make jewelry that you can then give as gifts or donate to be sold. All proceeds of the event go to charity. Win, win, win.

Buttons by the clever Pioneer Press

I've always been a big proponent of making holiday gifts and shopping local from independent shopkeepers and makers.

The last couple of years I had workshops in my studio for this exact purpose. A number of years ago I had heard about Plaid Friday that promotes shopping local and independent on Black Friday instead of visiting super stores. So, I called my Black Friday workshops Paisley Friday. We made cards, small books and other giftable items.

Plaid Friday started in Oakland, CA, but they encourage anyone to participate

I'm not able to have a Paisley Friday this year but you can still play along by visiting Angela's studio or by making something on your own.

If you are not in the Santa Cruz, California area you can still play along with me and my fellow instructors on Creativebug.

Make a gift-able photo album or scan and bind your kid's drawings into a book - great gift!

Creativebug is currently offering a free two-week trial to all of the workshops on their site so you can play along from wherever you are...in the world!

If you are in the Santa Cruz area then contact Angela at the Jewelry Toolery to sign up for Don't buy - DYI. Or, follow this link to play along with me and the other amazing Creativebug instructors (click on the Try Premium Free button on the homepage).

The Six-Pocket Keepsake book makes a great holiday card with pockets for stashing photos and notes.

A Creativebug subscription also makes a great gift!

I'd love to hear about what you make - please share...

p.s.

I just found out that Creativebug has released a number of free holiday themed workshops:

 

Wrap your handmade gift with handpainted wrapping paper with my friend Courtney

 
Go check it out.

Creativebug's *I Made This* Contest!

I am such a fan of making your own gifts for the holidays and Creativebug has launched a new contest that could set you on your way to impressing friends and families with handmade goodness.  Enter their contest, win their contest and start busying those hands.

 

Starting today (October 3rd) and running until October 16th you have three ways to win their grand prize worth over $400, including a free 3-month subscription to Creativebug and a bunch of books, materials and supplies that will enable you to complete many of the projects found on the site. There will also be 4 bonus prizes that include 2-month subscriptions to Creativebug plus materials. Full list o' prizes and how to enter below:

Grand Prize:

- 3 months to Creativebug +

- Alabama Chanin Kit including: 2 yards Alabama Chanin Jersey knit, 4 spools of Button Craft Thread, sewing needles, and Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin

- Radmegan's Needle felting Peeps Kit including: Wool Roving, Needle felting needle and foam, and instructions

- 2 skeins of Debbie Stoller's Alpaca Love yarn + 1 year subscription to BUST magazine

- 1 skein of hand-dyed yarn by Jill Draper Makes Stuff

- 2 Fiskars Hand Drills + 1 pair Fiskars scissors

- Assorted Rebecca Ringquist Samplers + needles + hoop

- Hello! Lucky Cake Topper Workshop Kit

- Found Bead Necklace Workshop Kit

- Herringbone Necklace Workshop Kit

- Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson

- Gertie's Book for Better Sewing by Gretchen Hirsch

- Heather Ross Prints by Heather Ross

- Weekend Handmade: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Crafting by Kelly Wilkinson

- Improv Sewing: 101 Fast, Fun and Fearless Projects, by Nicole Blum & Debra Immergut

- Mod Podge Gift Pack including: Mod Podge, Podgeable Papers, Podgeable Shapes, Gold Glue and so much more!

- Washi tape 

(4) Bonus Prizes:

- 2 months to Creativebug +

- One of these books by Jenny Doh: We Make Dolls:Top Dollmakers Share Their Secrets & Patterns,Signature Styles: 20 Stitchers Craft Their Look, Hand in Hand: Crafting with Kids, Creative Pilgrimage: An Exploration of Artful Gatherings and Discovery of Innovative Art Techniques

- 1 skein of Debbie Stoller's Alpaca Love yarn

- 1 Rebecca Ringquist sampler + 1 hoop

- 1 Liesl Gibson Straight Stitch Society Pattern

- Assorted Patterns, Fabric & Yarn 

- Hello! Lucky Cake Topper Workshop Kit

- Found Bead Necklace Workshop Kit

- Herringbone Necklace Workshop Kit

- Washi tape

How does it work? 

Creativebug is enamored with Pinterest so to participate in this contest, you must first be following Creativebug on Pinterest, then create a Pinterest board that includes at least 5 projects you have made, or projects on Creativebug that you would like to take, plus an official contest pin from the Creativebug I made this! Contest Board at http://pinterest.com/creativebuginc/. Call your Pinterest board "I made this!" and then go to Creativebug's blog at http://blog.creativebug.com/i-made-this-contest/ and enter the link to your Pinterest board and your email address so they can contact you and tell you when you WIN!

To increase your chances of winning, after you build your Pinterest board you can leave a comment here on MY BLOG with just your name and email address. You can also visit the blogs of my fellow Creativebug instructors, and leave a comment on their Creativebug contest posts. Each comment counts as one more entry! (Limit one comment per blog though.) Here's the list of my participating Creativebug pals:

Improv Sewing http://www.improvdiary.com

Hello! Lucky: http://www.hellolucky.com/wordpress/

Rebecca Ringquist: http://www.drop-cloth.blogspot.com/

Liesl Gibson: http://oliverands.com/blog/

Jill Draper: http://jilldraperblogs.blogspot.com/

Cal Patch: http://hodgepodgefarm.net/

Rad Megan: http://radmegan.blogspot.com

Natalie Chanin: http://alabamachanin.com/journal/

Courtney Cerruti: http://www.papermusingsblog.blogspot.com/

Megumi Inouye: http://giftwrapbymegumi.blogspot.com/

Heather Ross: http://heatherross.squarespace.com/journal/ 

Creativebug is also accepting tweets about the contest as entries if you follow @Creativebug on twitter, and include the hashtag #Imadethis and @creativebug.

To read the full page o' rules, click here http://blog.creativebug.com/imadethis-terms, but in the meantime, start pinning! If you haven't tried Pinterest yet you should check it out.  It is a great way to organize inspiration that you find when you are out and about on the internet.

Good luck to everyone!

p.s. remember that you have to create the pinterest board - just leaving a comment on one of the blogs will not enter you in the contest. 

p.p.s. and, even if you haven't made a project with Creativebug yet you can pin a project that you would LIKE to make - and that qualifies!