Countdown to Christmas: KCEtsy Team's Great Giveaway! WEEK ELEVEN: Win an Apples Coin Pouch from Ni-Chern Designs!

WEEK ELEVEN: Win an Apples Coin Pouch from Nicole at Ni-Chern Designs!

Nicole notes, "My first bag that I'd ever sewn was in high school. My best friend didn't want a pair of jeans, and I thought I could make something from it! End of college, I decided to start sewing again to perhaps help with all my student loans. So Ni-Chern Designs was started. Ni-Chern is my Chinese name, meaning little girl. Sewing is really comforting and relaxes my mind. There's a bit of me in every bag and pouch. And it always makes me happy to see them go to a good loving home."

"It's difficult to pick a favorite item, since I feel like they're all a part of me. I do go through different phases of favorite colors. Sometimes it is noticeable on my listings or my featured items in my shop."

TO ENTER THIS CONTEST AND WIN the Apples Coin Pouch, simply visit Nicole's Etsy Shop nicherndesigns.etsy.com and choose your favorite item in the shop, then post a comment about your favorite item here. BE SURE TO INCLUDE contact information (your e-mail) in your post, so we can notify you if you win. For an EXTRA ENTRY, become a follower of this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know you've done so. For yet a THIRD entry, Tweet on Twitter or blog about this contest on your own blog, including a link to this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know. Include in your comment a link to your post! Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. Monday Nov. 2, a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. Winner has one week to contact Nicole to claim his/her prize. Contest open to U.S. residents. Keep checking here for our weekly drawings, and good luck to you!

The lucky winner of this drawing is FREE INDEED! Congrats!

Along came a Spider

1. Spider Sparkle Book - Vinyl Moleskin Notebook Cover by annebvinyl

2. Speedy Spider PDF Knitting Pattern/Tutorial by cheezombie
3. Spider Pillar Earrings by shirleyborchart

4. Sterling Sliver and Spider Shell Pendant by semiprecious1

*Written by TinyStitches

Tuesday Tutorial:: Vintage Halloween Banner

This weeks Tuesday Tutorial comes from Contessa Kris the talented mixed media artist behind Collage Contessa and Collage Curiosities. Kris loves using collage, paint, fabric, stamps, paper, metal, ephemera and anything else she can get her hands on to create one of a kind altered art. Her work has a lovely whimsical feel with a beautiful modern edge and often mixes in unique vintage images.


The tutorial Kris shares this week holds true to her style. Layers of different mediums are used to create this Vintage Halloween Banner. This design would translate beautifully for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines, even July 4th! Have fun creating and drop us a line if you make something. We love show and tell!

Supplies:
3 pieces Orange 8 1/2 x 11" cardstock
9 Vintage Halloween postcards* or something similar, cut to 3 1/2 x 5" size
Background stamp (mine is like architecture iron work)
Black stazon ink pad
Embroidery floss (I used orange and dark brown)
Decorative Scissors (I used a 'Victorian' style)
5 ft Ribbon (mine has pumpkins on it)
Chipboard letters, stickers or rub-ons spelling HALLOWEEN
Glitter glue (I used clear)
Poker tool or use a bigger needle
Needle & Scissors
Glue & Exacto Knife


1. Take orange cardstock, fold and rip into 4 even pieces. Cut the 2 long sides with the decorative scissors. I cut off just enough to make the decorative edge but not enough to cut off width.

2. Using the background stamp, stamp with the black ink, onto the orange cardstock pieces. Ink the edges of the stamped pieces as well.

3. Cut out your postcards to a 3-1/2" x 5" size and glue vertically on the stamped cardstock. I put my glue about 1" in on each side of the postcard. Don't glue all the way to the edges. It makes the next step harder.

4. Take your poking tool or bigger needle and evenly spoke holes around the edge of the postcard (mine are almost 1/2" apart.)

5. Thread a larger needle with embroidery thread (I did not split mine, I used all 6 strands.) Stitch around the entire postcard. This is so simple, my 9 yr old dd was able to help me.

6. Using the exacto knife, cut about 1/2" down on the postcard section of your pieces, a 1/2" vertical slit on the left and right side. This will be so you can thread your ribbon through for your hanger.

7. Thread your ribbon through so the middle of the ribbon is behind the postcard. Make sure you have about 5+ inches extra on each end of your banner.

8. Adhere the chipboard (or sticker/rub-ons) to the bottom left corner of the postcards, spelling out Halloween.

9. Using the glitter glue, choose parts of your postcards to highlight with glitter.

10. Hang up wherever you desire!


* If you don't have a stash of great grandma's postcards sitting in the attic you're willing to craft with, digital postcard images are available online. Kris found hers years ago in a Dover Publications e-mail newsletter. Lots of wonderful Etsy sellers offer inexpensive PDFs of vintage postcard images you can purchase and use in craft projects like this. Here are the listings for vintage Halloween postcards. Be best results, look for postcard images that are full size (3-1/2" x 5").



This tutorial was originally published on Kris' blog CollageContessa.blogspot.com and was reprinted with permission. Visit her blog to learn more about her work and for more great mixed media Halloween tutorials and projects.

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Don't miss out on entering Week 10 of our Countdown to Christmas Great Blog Giveway from Thyme2dream! To enter read this post and follow the contest instructions.

Countdown to Christmas: KCEtsy Team's Great Giveaway! WEEK TEN: Win an Adjustable Fairy Elven Choker / Necklace from Thyme 2 Dream!

WEEK TEN: Win an Adjustable Fairy Elven Choker / Necklace from Karla Hall at Thyme 2 Dream in WINNER'S CHOICE of colors!

According to Karla, "I believe that the root of my artistic career really came about as a result of a restless need to do something with all the creative energy I was no longer using as my kids became more independent. I just suddenly had this consuming passion to make things. I played with polymer clay for awhile, got into beading, and then I discovered wire working and was totally hooked! I first started making sun catchers and trying my hand at wind chimes and such, but then one day my 89-year-old grandmother asked me if I could make a pair of ear cuffs for her. This appealed to me as well; I had never had pierced ears and loved dangly earrings. Basically, I started making the sort of jewelry that I loved, but could never find anywhere else. The results of that effort have evolved into a full-time jewelry business."

"I love growing things but am a terrible gardener- I created my crystal leaf gardens because they are much easier to keep alive. I delight in fanciful stories from literature, theater, and music, and I am fascinated by the process of trying to convey the enchantment from one genre to another," Karla notes.

She credits Alphonse Mucha and his artistic love affair with the actress Sarah Bernhardt, the jewelry he adorned his portrait models with, as well as the designs he actually had made into jewelry pieces in collaboration with French jeweler Georges Fouquet, for much of her inspiration. "I like to think I might be related to him somewhere back there- my maternal grandparents are from the same region of the Czech Republic where he was born. I also love the work of Arthur Rackham, Maxfield Parrish, Rick Griffin and N C Wyeth."

TO ENTER THIS CONTEST AND WIN the Adjustable Fairy Elven choker necklace, simply visit Karla's Etsy Shop thyme2dream.etsy.com and choose your favorite item in the shop, then post a comment about your favorite item here. BE SURE TO INCLUDE contact information (your e-mail) in your post, so we can notify you if you win. For an EXTRA ENTRY, become a follower of this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know you've done so. For yet a THIRD entry, Tweet on Twitter or blog about this contest on your own blog, including a link to this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know. Include in your comment a link to your post! Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. Monday Oct. 26, a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. Winner has one week to contact Karla to claim his/her prize. Contest open to U.S. residents. Keep checking here for our weekly drawings, and good luck to you!

The winner of this drawing is Anne J! Congratulations!

Countdown to Christmas: KCEtsy Team's Great Giveaway! WEEK NINE: Win a Sparkle Flower Power magnet set Sparkle Book from Anne B. Vinyl!

WEEK NINE: Win one Sparkle Flower Power (set of four vinyl magnets) and one Sparkle Book (Vinyl Composition Book Cover) in the mini composition book size from Anne Hollond at Anne B. Vinyl!

Says Anne, "I've been sewing with various vinyl fabrics for the past 10 years. I started on a whim, after seeing a segment on Martha Stewart's television show about oilcloth placemats. After I made the placemats, I couldn't stop thinking about what else I could make with this amazing fabric, and I discovered other vinyl fabrics that were also incredibly appealing. I still can't stop! My inspiration comes from all over. I tend to just be in a constant state of viewing the world through a vinyl lens. I'm always jotting down ideas for things that I think would look fabulous in vinyl, or things that are already made of vinyl but aren't made of cool vinyl! (That's how the pocket protectors came about.) I'm also very lucky -- and very grateful -- to have so many people (especially on Etsy) approach me with ideas. I've currently got several fun projects in the works based on these ideas. One of them, in an amusing full-circle way, is a set of placemats!"

Anne notes that it's hard for her to pick a favorite item. "So many of them have interesting and sentimental back-stories. In a general sense, I'm particularly fond of the appliqued designs. They're very challenging, because the sewing is slow and the margin for error is tiny, but I really enjoy the challenge and the end result. I'm also very proud of my collaborative projects with Christy Schneider at The Petite Press - Project Nerd Power, Project Sip-in-Style, and Project Sup-in-Style."

TO ENTER THIS CONTEST AND WIN the SPARKLE FLOWER POWER magnet set and SPARKLE BOOK mini composition book, simply visit Anne's Etsy Shop annebvinyl.etsy.com and choose your favorite item in the shop, then post a comment about your favorite item here. BE SURE TO INCLUDE contact information (your e-mail) in your post, so we can notify you if you win. For an EXTRA ENTRY, become a follower of this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know you've done so. For yet a THIRD entry, Tweet on Twitter or blog about this contest on your own blog, including a link to this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know. Include in your comment a link to your post! Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Monday Oct. 19, a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. Winner has one week to contact Anne to claim his/her prize. Contest open to U.S. residents. Keep checking here for our weekly drawings, and good luck to you!

This week's winner is DOTTY JANE! Congratulations!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programing ...

to bring you some black and orange goodies ...

1. Dia de los Muertos Sparkle Cuff - Reversible Vinyl Bracelet (annebvinyl)
2. Perfection. Bracelet (LynspiredJewelry)
3. Boo It's Halloween, Standard Pillowcase (tinystitches)
4. Orange Birdie Earrings (creativeARTchicka)

Tuesday Tutorial:: Felt Sandwich Bread

I recently needed a mess free way for 50 kids ages 3-11 to make PBJ sandwiches as part of a relay race. Real sandwich bread, peanut butter and jelly weren't a practical option because of cost, waste and the mess/allergy factor, so I turned to what I know best ... fabric. Specifically felt. Felt sandwich bread, felt peanut butter, felt jelly - it was perfect. No excessive waste, no sticky fingers, no epi pens, and it was all totally reusable after the activity in my kids play "pantry."

Here's my very simple tutorial for the sandwich bread. Definitely get enough supplies to make a loaf, about 10 slices. And start brainstorming other sandwich fixings you can create using felt ... lettuce, tomato slices, deli meats, cheese.

If you know a young child who loves to pretend they run a bakery, cafe or grocery store, go on picnics with giants or serve tea to Teddy and Willow each afternoon; making a little sandwich kit would be a thoughtful, unique, inexpensive, handmade gift they would love! Sweeten the deal with a few iced sugar cookies.

Written and submitted by TinyStitches.

Countdown to Christmas: KCEtsy Team's Great Giveaway! WEEK EIGHT: Win anything in shop from Dumb Kid Designs!

WEEK EIGHT: Win your choice of any wallet/card holder, passport holder, or pocketbook in her shop from Susanne Brink at Dumb Kid Designs!

According to Susanne, "I have always considered myself creative and crafty, so it is hard to pinpoint when I really first started making stuff. So I found Etsy a little over 2 years ago and took a shot to see if anyone other than my family and friends liked what I made. I'm really glad I did; I love it!"

Susanne says she dreams a lot and thinks that due to this, everyone and everything inspires her. "I try to take it all in. It works out for me because working with paper as a base for my items, my possibilities are endless that way. My products are pretty similar, except in size really. I cannot say I have a favorite item, because I use them all. I personally like the maps the best. I can get lost in them for hours. They remind me of where I have been and where I want to go. Who lives here and who lives there. They are also my favorite item to sell too. My customers tend to tell me stories of why they want a certain place/city, and that's what makes it so much more real. It's fun for me that way."

TO ENTER THIS CONTEST AND WIN YOUR CHOICE OF ANY ITEM IN HER SHOP, simply visit Susanne's Etsy Shop dumbkiddesigns.etsy.com and choose your favorite item in the shop, then post a comment about your favorite item here. BE SURE TO INCLUDE contact information (your e-mail) in your post, so we can notify you if you win. For an EXTRA ENTRY, become a follower of this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know you've done so. For yet a THIRD entry, Tweet on Twitter or blog about this contest on your own blog, including a link to this blog, and BE SURE TO POST A SEPARATE COMMENT letting us know. Include in your comment a link to your post! Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. Monday Oct. 5, a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. Winner has one week to contact Susanne to claim his/her prize. Contest open to U.S. residents. Keep checking here for our weekly drawings!

This week's winner is Joyful Girl Naturals! Congratulations!