Etsy Dallas announces 2010 members….

Okay, all you indie shopping Dallas-ites, Etsy Dallas has just announced the 2010 member line up.

And if that isn’t exciting enough you will want to mark you calendar now for the 2nd Annual Spring Bash:

Saturday ,May, 1st

11am-5pm

South Side on Lamar (1409  South Lamar St)

“Along with hand-picked locally-made goods, the Bash will offer up live DJ music, free charity raffle, photo booth, DIY crafts, and 50 free goody bags stuffed with top quality handmade swag. Admission is free. Sponsorship packages available on our web site. Come on out to the Bash – a hip, modern craft event full of shopping, music, and handmade good times. Think of it as a celebration – not just your typical craft show!”–Handmade Bash

Artist applications and sponsorship opportunities are available online at  Handmade Bash web site.

Sew Crafty Holiday

With the kiddos out of school since last Friday, we’ve been “sew” crafty and gearing up for the holidays. I finally found the time to work on some wool felt ornaments that I purchased as a kit from Plum Creek Collectibles whilst in Houston for the Fall quilt festival. Tammy De Young, the owner, was such a sweet gal and she’s from Texas too. Her designs were just so adorable that I bought two wool felt pattern/kits.

My daughter and I also dug out our paints, brushes & glitter to work on clay , metal and glass holiday ornaments. A little hot chocolate and whole bunch of cookies later, we were like our own little ornament factory!

Phew, yep we were busy……but I did find time to bake myself another of my favorite treats from Living Without-gluten free cranberry scones. Yummy!! And of course, I had to give my Pfaff a little holiday loving too. I created this little “Jingle” table topper that was inspired by a post on Moda Bakeshop by Melissa Mortenson of Polkadot Chair. I just love the Figgy Pudding line by Basic Grey for Moda and will cherish this little table topper for years to come ! So, thank you Melissa for being so generous with your creativity!!

I also made myself a little Christmas present…..the Swing Bag by Amy Butler. Isn’t it darling?  I didn’t use Amy Butler fabrics (sorry Amy) because I fell in love with this line Picadilly by Pamela Mostek for Clothworks. The cool thing is this bag is reversible and I can take the scarf off and wear it too! Sweet or what! And don’t look to closely at my fabric bursting out of my hutch!

Inspire with the Giving Spirit Giveaway

The giveaway has been extended through January 8th……

If you follow my blog, you will know that I was recently a finalist in the Soft Flex Beading company’s Flex Your Creativity Contest. While my designs were not one of the top 10 winners, I still feel proud to have stepped out of the box and “flexed” my creativity with the following designs. Originally, I was going to auction of the 3 pieces that I designed for charity because they don’t really “fit” anywhere in my current designs. I had such a hard time choosing one charity that I decided to give you a chance to win with your “giving spirit”!

Get your chance to win one of the three designs below, please leave a comment on how you have “given” back to your community this month. It doesn’t necessarily need to be monetary (your time counts too). One of my favorite “warm fuzzy memories” is of the time I spent reading to the elderly while I was in university…..

For example, in our household we have donated canned goods to our local food bank, gently used toys to the woman’s shelter, and new toys for a variety of toy drives. Plus, our family is planning to donate our time to Operation Kindness . The kids are excited that with the help of mom and dad that they can assist at the animal shelter.

So, here are the designs that you have a chance to win in the Giving Spirit Giveaway…..

I look forward to reading and sharing my favorite “giving spirit” comments over the next few weeks. Please share with family and friends too. Let us inspire one another with our giving spirit!

I will choose 3 “random” giving winners on January 8th, 2010 (comments after January 7th midnight CST will NOT be entered in the random drawing) using Random.org so please make sure you type your e-mail correctly so I have a way to contact you. Yes, you can comment more than once (the more giving spirit the better IMHO)! The winners will have 72 hours to respond via e-mail. If they do not, another winner will be chosen. All jewelry will be e-mailed via first class mail ( I will ship world wide) within 2 business days of the winner responding.

Any questions, just e-mail me artist AT designing-diva DOT com.

In the spirit of giving,

P.S.
Update Jan 11/2010:
Winners: Nyla Thompson, BrendaLea, and Sara Hardin

30 Days & Counting …..

Wow, time is flying by! It is literally one month away to the 2nd annual Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash. I’m super excited because this show was voted the “Best One-Stop Shop” by the Dallas Observer! Last year, the traffic was fantastic and people lined up to get one of our fabulous “50″  goodie bags. This year, I’m in the process of making blinged out hair pins with dichrioc glass. Stay tuned to see pics!

So, if you haven’t already. Please save the date (Nov 21st). Join me (I’ll be downstairs in the boardroom) and the other super cool indie artists/crafters/designers who will help you with your Christmas shopping list!

Wish-List Wednesday: Holiday Felty Love

Last week, my fellow fabric-aholic & BFF , Sharrie, took off to Houston for the 2009 International Quilt Show (stay tuned for more pics over the next few weeks!). I wore my favorite Quilt Show ensemble : a feather boa and one Blue Plate Special apron I whipped up the night before.. Hey, don’t laugh where else can a grown woman wear a boa in public and get away with it (except for Halloween?)!!! At least Sharrie couldn’t lose me in the crowd if she tried!

We had such a fabulous time looking at all the amazing quilts before we heard the “fabric & notions” calling our name! Now, I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of “handwork” when it comes to sewing. I much prefer to whip things up with the help of my sidekick, Mrs Pfaff!

But, I fell in love with not one but two Christmas felting kits from Tammy DeYoung of  Plum Creek Collectibles. Tammy assured me that I would be able to finish each of these kits in a weekend so I have plenty of time to get these done for December.

I found some really cute holiday designs (scroll down please) on flickr (click on any photo to get more information). So sit back & enjoy! Isn’t this little red cardinal by “Think Outside the Box” just darling. It would look fab on a tree or as an extra special gift tag! Create your own vignette with this adorable tree and gingerbread house project from “Trillium-Mama”. Surely this gingerbread house would be easier to make than the real thing and you could pull it out year after year! And last but not least, I just love these holiday swap ornaments by  “LuSummers”. I also think these would make  fabulous gift tag /present embellishments!

Hope you enjoyed a little pre-holiday inspiration. If you intend to do any holiday felting, share your link or photos. We love show and tell!!

Hugs, Randi

P.S. There are lots of wonderful resources for felt out there. I recommend Prairie Point Junction because they have fabulous prices , selection and you can buy pieces as small as 12″ X 18″ (oh yeah, and you can also buy sampler sets to see all the colors in their natural glory!). No, I’m not affiliated with the company; I’m just one happy customer!!