Archive for September, 2009

Hi friends,

I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. We had some lovely weather, but it's already starting to feel like fall around here – and not just because of all the school buses I saw on my way to work this morning. Of course, you're not here to listen to me muse about school buses...

...so without further ado, here are the lucky winners of the copies of Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. Congratulations to:

Commenters #45 and 25, Carol and Teresa K.

Congratulations, ladies! I'm sure you'll enjoy this book - and find even more inspiration within its pages. I'll be sending you an email about how to claim your prize shortly.

Tune in later today for details on Giveaway #19 – I'm trying something a little different this week and I think it's going to be fun. Until then, have a good day!

PS I'm *still* looking for the winner of Weekly Giveaway #17 (the knitted toys book), Dian Anderson. You should have received an email from me explaining what to do to claim your prize; if you haven't, please check your junk mail box or click this link to email me and claim your prize.

Hi friends,

Whether you're sending your little ones back to school on Tuesday, heading back to the classroom yourself, or just looking for a way to jazz up your mid-day meal, a fabric lunch bag is a must-have item for fall. They're small, fast and a great way to use up scraps – and to send a little hug along with that lunch. Here's a lunch-bag round-up to get you thinking (and crafting) this weekend.

• I like the note-on-your-lunchbag idea, as seen here on Kate's Notebook Lunchbag (from Design*Sponge).
• The cute embroidered motifs add a whimsical look to this Back To School Lunch Bag from Purl Bee.
• Repurpose an old FedEx mailer with this Tyvek lunch bag from Craft Magazine.
• Spool Sewing sells a downloadable lunch bag pattern (it's $5 US, but so cute).
• Use inkjet printable paper to personalize your lunch bag (from The Workshop Window).
• Try a project from Angry Chicken Amy Karol's new book, Bend the Rules with Fabric, in this excerpt on The Storque.

Whew! That should keep you busy! And if you're looking for ideas about what to put *in* those lunch bags, The Canadian Test Kitchen has some great recipes. Check them out.

Have a great long weekend! See you here on Tuesday with prize winners and more crafty goodness.

Hi folks,

Just a bit of housekeeping today I'm afraid.

I'm still looking for the winner of Weekly Giveaway #15 (the jewelry book), Carla Omoruyi, and the winner of Weekly Giveaway #17 (the knitted toys book), Dian Anderson. You should have both received emails from me explaining what to do to claim your prize; if you haven't, either check your junk mail box or click this link to email me and claim your prize.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you both. Back tomorrow with some inspiration for your weekend.

Hi friends,

Just a quick post today before the day gets away with me. This tutorial showing how to make a scratch-off lottery ticket just made my day. (From ArtMind, via Whipup.) If I thought I could get away with it, I'd be begging off work with a "headache" to go and try them out right now.

Hope you have a great day. (Oh, and isn't this cake fantastic?)

Hi friends,

Today I want to tell you about someone I work with who is crafting for a cause. Annette Waurick is the Art Director of Canadian Living's sister publication Homemakers. This November, Annette is going to travel to Paraguay to take part in a Habitat for Humanity building project.

Photo from habitat.ca.

In her own words:

I've been thinking about volunteer work for a while, how could I give something back, and help people that are not as fortunate as I am. I looked into different organizations and decided on Habitat, since I firmly support what they do and what they stand for.

I'll be going to Paraguay in November for two weeks, in order to help build a home for a single local family in need. It'll be a hands-on project, working on a building site with local materials and tools. The trip is financed by me in addition to a donation of $650, which brings my total cost to about $3500.

Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national, non-profit, faith-based organization working for a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. The mission of the organization is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty. Habitat for Humanity Canada was founded in 1985, consists of over 35,000 volunteers and 72 affiliate organizations from coast to coast, and is a member of Habitat for Humanity International which spans 93 countries, has built over 225,000 homes, and is now building a new home every 21 minutes.

As she says above, part of Annette's commitment to the trip is financial. To help finance her efforts, Annette is turning to something she knows well – jewelry-making.

Annette has been making her stylish jewelry for some time now, and in our office we all look forward to her pre-Christmas jewelry sales (it's so nice to be able to find great gifts without even having to leave the building!). For the next two months, Annette will be hosting a special bracelet sale at her Etsy shop, Modern Jewels, with all proceeds from sales of her bracelets going to support her upcoming volunteer trip. She's done an incredible job of fund-raising so far, having made $1100 in jewelry sales and another $895 from her online donations page, and now she's into the final push.

I know that times are tight for many of us right now, so please don't feel pressured to contribute. But if you have been looking for a lovely gift to give someone, or even yourself, and you'd like to help others while you're at it, I hope you'll consider supporting this community-minded crafter.

*Are you crafting for a cause? Tell me about your project, and how people in the Make+Do community could help, and I might feature you on Make+Do.

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway!