Heart Home


Launched in September 2011, British lifestyle magazine Heart Home is a quarterly publication celebrating unique interior decor and lifestyle. Founded by Arianna Trapani, Carole King, and Daniel Nelson, this publication champions independent British Designers and inspires readers to create their own great homes.

The latest issue of Heart Home (below) is filled with inspiring photos, great products, and content ranging from a Parisienne's tips for chic rental living, an interior designer's colorful country cottage home, and thrifty but stylish tips for a garden wedding.

In addition to the quarterly magazine, Heart Home also features a blog that is updated three times every weekday and is full of interiors, fashion, gardens, food and craft features. There's also a shopping directory that is the ultimate sourcebook for interior design & decoration. In an effort to support young designers, Heart Home is offering a free listing in their directory to all 2012 graduates (limited spaces apply). To learn more, send an email to directory@hearthomemag.co.uk. Visit Heart Home's Facebook page for updates & more info. While you're there, you can even enter to win a Kindle! (*UK only. Terms and conditions apply.)

GIVEAWAY: Weekend Kits

Weekend Kits is a wonderful source for a wide variety of craft kits. There's kits spanning tons of crafts, including embroidery, jewelry making, and scrapbooking. Also, there's kits suitable for children & kits geared more towards adults & more experienced crafters.

Weekend Kits recently added a new line of DIY handbag sewing kits to the Sewing Project Kits section. This section includes kits that allow you to create a messenger bag, tote bag, or a ruffle handbag & each is available in three different color combos. This section also features stuffed animal kits, such as this adorable elephant (pictured below)!

The Card Making Kits section is also growing with the addition of card kits for everyday greetings & special occasions. I love the colors in the Ambrosia Card Kit & the Hello Sunshine! Kit is sure to brighten anyone's day!

As you know, the holidays will be here before we know it. Weekend Kits will soon be adding new craft kits for the holidays to the Christmas Craft Kits section. This is the perfect time to start working on beautiful Christmas Stockings and Tree Skirts! While you're on the Weekend Kits website, be sure to sign up for their newsletter so you will receive updates on new product arrivals & to learn about special offers.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Crystal! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive a Blue Finch Tote Bag Sewing Kit (pictured above) AND a Hello Sunshine Card Making Kit (at left) from Weekend Kits!

TO ENTER: Visit Weekend Kits & leave a comment on this post noting a kit you would most like to try your hand at.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Like Weekend Kits on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ENDS: 6pm CDT, Sunday, August 5th, 2012.

Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience

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We are currently accepting vendor applications for both Funky Finds fall events. Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience will be held in Longview, Texas, on November 3 & 4 and in Fort Worth, Texas, on November 10 & 11. The vendor application deadline is August 12th.

Each event website includes detailed vendor info, as well as information regarding swag, charitable raffles, advertising and sponsorship opportunities. If you would like to promote your business at either event, please look over the websites & contact us with any questions or feedback at info@funkyfinds.com.

All Funky Finds events are free to the public and family AND pet-friendly! In Longview, Texas Star Rescue will benefit from the charitable raffle & will be facilitating pet adoptions at the event. In Fort Worth, the charitable raffle will benefit Toys For Tots and The Humane Society of North Texas who will be facilitating pet adoptions throughout the weekend. Bring a new unwrapped toy & receive one FREE raffle ticket! Don't Forget to Feed Me, an organization dedicated to feeding animals, will also be on-hand accepting pet food donations.

Are you on Facebook? Follow our Funky Finds page for updates and confirm you're attendance on our event pages. LongviewFort Worth

Whether you are an event participant or a supporter of handmade, we hope to see you in November!

BUST Magazine Craftacular


Apply now to be a BUST Magazine Craftacular vendor at the World's Largest DIY Festival -- Maker Faire New York 2012!

World Maker Faire will take place on September 29th and 30th at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows, Queens, NY.

Maker Faire is a newfangled outdoor fair that brings together science, art, craft, engineering, and music in a fun, energized, and exciting public forum. Over 40,000 attendees are expected over both days.

Last year's BUST Magazine Craftacular at World Maker Faire was a huge hit! This year's edition of the BUST Magazine Craftacular at World Maker Faire will feature:

• An expanded central location at a highly trafficked area within Maker Faire -- lots of foot traffic!

• A large, spiffy-looking BUST Craftacular tent, which will provide cover and shade for all vendors and shoppers (already included in your booth fee!).

• The chance to show off your skills to an enthusiastic audience with live crafting demos!

Application deadline is August 15, 2012. Have more questions? Visit Frequently Asked Questions or e-mail BUST at craftacular@bust.com.

Shuttle Tatting with Marilee Rockley

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In 2008, I featured the beautiful work of Marilee Rockley of Yarnplayer Arts. Since then, Marilee has remained dedicated to this craft, offering a variety of designs, patterns, & hand-dyed threads. She also recently added the title of Craftsy.com instructor to her resume.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Marilee about what tatting is, her experience as a Craftsy instructor, and what handmade means to her.

What is tatting & how / when did you get started tatting in general?
Tatting is a type of handmade knotted lace, characterized by oval rings and curved chains, which are usually decorated with small loops called picots. Also called shuttle lace or frivolité. I've been tatting over 30 years. I'm mostly self-taught from books and the Internet, but I've learned valuable tips and tricks from tatting friends as well. I've been designing original tatted jewelry since about 2004.

Tell us about how you became an instructor on Craftsy & about your experience as an online instructor.
A member of the production team at Craftsy.com contacted me a few months ago, saying she had seen my tatted lace jewelry article in Bead&Button magazine (April 2012 issue) and would I be interested in teaching a tatting course on Craftsy? This was the first I had heard of Craftsy.com, so I took a look at the site and was very impressed. I could see immediately the advantages to an online class - it can be watched as many times as you want, whenever you want, the instructors and other students will answer your questions, and you can upload pictures of your projects and receive feedback. Craftsy only works with top instructors across all craft fields, so I considered it a real honor to be asked to teach a class there. Of course, I said yes!

It was a very exciting experience for me to work with their professional video production crew in the Craftsy studio in Denver, Colorado. I needed to have my course completely prepared with talking points, patterns, completed projects, and the course projects in various stages of completion for doing demonstrations. It was quite a bit of work to prepare, but the Craftsy production team kept me encouraged and on schedule. Shooting the video took three days, then the editing team had my Shuttle Tatting course ready to launch after a few weeks.

What inspires you?
The inspiration for my designs comes from many sources - vintage patterns, nature, seeing the work of other crafters, and just "playing around" with tatting to see what happens.

What does handmade mean to you?
To me, handmade means putting your own skills & creativity into a piece of work. It's unique!

To learn more about Marilee & her work, visit her Facebook page, blog and her Etsy shop.

SPECIAL OFFER:
Receive a 25% discount when signing up for
Marilee's Shuttle Tatting course through Craftsy.com.

GIVEAWAY: An Unlikely Arrangement

The daughter of a WWII Navy vet who survived Pearl Harbor, Patty Wiseman was raised in Washington State. She attended The Wesleyan College in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, then moved to Northeast Texas where she has resided for over 30 years. Hobbies include bowling, traveling, attending Texas Rangers Baseball games, and gardening. Patty currently lives in Woodlawn, Texas, with her husband, Ron, and crème lab, Cutter.

Retired in December 2010 from her 24-year career at Ernie Marshall Investments, she is now a full-time writer. In 2007, Patty entered the National Novel Writing Month competition to write a novel in 30 days and won. She entered again in 2011 and again came out a winner! She currently serves as secretary of the East Texas Writers Association and is a member of the Northeast Texas Writer’s Organization. Patty is the creator of the Velvet Shoe Collection of romantic mysteries, the first book being An Unlikely Arrangement, and the second An Unlikely Beginning.

An Unlikely Arrangement
Young and rebellious, Ruth Squire defied her parents to live the high life of young people in 1929 Detroit. Handsome and responsible, Peter Kirby worked diligently to make his family's life easier. Rich and powerful, Eric Horton held the fates of many families in his hands. These three lives intertwine through the differing worlds of high society, middle-class life, and organized crime, culminating in an engagement, a kidnapping, a misunderstanding...and a murder.

Learn more about author Patty Wiseman by visiting the following sites:

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Giant Sis! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Patty Wiseman's novel An Unlikely Arrangement.

TO ENTER: Like Patty's Facebook page, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Visit Patty Wiseman's website to download chapter one & subscribe to notifications, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ENDS: Monday, July 16th at 9pm CDT.