WhatTheCraft Handmade Giveaway – Youleeana Boutique Hat winner!

Congratulations to our winner…

Erica!

Thank you to all of you that entered. I hope you’ll be back for our future giveaways!

Looking for a Serger?

Please take this Husqvarna Viking Huskylock 905 off my hands. It’s in mint condition, I’ve literally used it 3 times. I intended to replace my ginormous Huskylock 936 with it, but when it came time, I couldn’t part with my 936 and it’s bells and whistles.

I’d keep the 905 because it’s just as much of a kickass machine as the 936, but I’m supposed to be getting RID of machines, not buying more!

I’ve owned 3 different brands of sergers, and the Husqvarnas are the closest you can get to industrial in a home machine, in my opinion.

The suggested retail price for the 905 is $799. I’m asking for $399 and that includes shipping!

 

WhatTheCraft Handmade Giveaway – Youleeana Boutique Hat

This week’s WhatTheCraft Giveaway is sponsored by Iuliana of Youleeana Boutique, who is offering an organic slouchy hat!

The winner of this giveaway will receive:
one slouchy hat/beret
Valued at $36!

How long have you been doing Youleeana Boutique?
I started You-Lee-Ana Boutique earlier this year, but I’ve had the idea for quite some time. Funny story behind the name of my shop: When I first came to the US from Europe in 2005 and had people at school mis-pronounce my name (which is Iuliana with an ‘i’), I’d always have to spell it out phonetically. I remember thinking that one day I’ll start a business, or if I have a band, it’ll be called You-Lee-Ana.

Is it a full-time or part-time endeavor?
It feels like it’s a full time endeavor, because there’s more to my shop than just creating. There’s marketing, selling, promoting, blogging, pictures, web design… oh so many things that were not up my alley originally. It is intertwined with my other favorite, and definitely full-time job, as a mother.

Where do you find inspiration?
Because I’ve grown up in an environment where everything was made by hand  I feel like a lot of my inspiration comes from my practicality (and some may argue, because these days there’s nothing practical  about making everything from scratch), or from my constant longing of going back to basics and to living a simpler life. I am also quite the girly girl (yes mom, I am finally leaving my tom boy days behind) and everything I make reflects my love for fashion, accessories and in general beauty.

What is your favorite item you’ve ever made?
I like all the things that end up seen by other people. My most recent favorite project is Fall/Halloween related. They are crochet mini pumpkins:

If you had a million dollars, what’s the first handmade item you’d buy?
Oh my….this question is making me have an anxiety attack here. It so hard to choose. I have recently spotted an amazing handwoven moldovan style pillow and it reminds me so much of my grandma’s handmade creations:

What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?
I didn’t grow up with Halloween, but I have to say that pure sugar…oh…I mean candy corn is pretty good.

Want more?

Find more about Youleeana Boutique here:
Shop
Blog
Facebook

Giveaway Info:

Youleeana Boutique is giving away one slouchy hat.

There are lots of ways to enter, so even us lazy folk have a chance at winning!

This contest will close on September 26th at 11:59 PM EST. I will randomly select one winner after the contest closes.

You MUST comment on this post with your entries as you complete them.

If you do not comment, I will have no way to count your entries.
You can post a separate comment for each entry or
put all of your entries into one comment.

If you have Liked/Followed/etc. WhatTheCraft in previous giveaways,
you can still use that as entry, just comment saying you have done so.

Ways to Enter

On Facebook:
Please include your Facebook name in your comment

• “LIKE” Youleeana Boutique on Facebook
  
• “LIKE” WhatTheCraft on Facebook
• “LIKE” SmarmyClothes on Facebook
• Post a Facebook status update with a link to this giveaway
• Post a Facebook update with a link to your favorite item from Youleeana Boutique

 

On Twitter:
Please include your Twitter name in your comment

• Follow WhatTheCraft on Twitter
• Follow SmarmyClothes on Twitter
• Retweet this tweet from your Twitter
• Tweet with a link to your favorite item from Youleeana Boutique
  

 

Other Ways:

• Follow Youleeana Boutique’s Blog
  
• Follow SmarmyClothes on Tumblr – include your Tumblr username in your comment
  
• Blog about this giveaway and/or about Youleeana Boutique - include a link to the post in your comment
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel – include your YouTube username in your comment

 

PLEASE make sure you include a valid email address on the comment form so I can get in touch with you if you win!

This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM EST on Monday, September 26th, 2011.

WhatTheCraft Handmade Giveaway – Flying Aardvark necklace winner!

Congrats to the winner of this week’s giveaway…

Robert!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for future giveaways!

New business cards! And mailing envelopes!

I ran out of business cards the other day, and after hours of searching for my business card design file, I decided to just design a whole new card (after I found the old one, of course. ha!).

I went with a printing company I hadn’t used before, which had a lot of recommendations around the internet.

Here are my cards, from AmericasPrinter.com:

That’s the same card, front and back. They double as hang tags.

They turned out pretty damn spiffy, if I do say so myself. And I’ll definitely be sticking with AP from now on.

The reasons: quality, speed, pricing:

• I got my cards in 8 business days with standard shipping, which included a holiday weekend.
• 1000 cards with full color, glossy prints on both sides was $25 shipped.

I’ve used VistaPrint and OvernightPrints in the past when they had free biz card deals, but I haven’t seen either offer free premium business cards in a long time. Even with the 40% off coupons that can be found all over the internet, VistaPrint’s price for 1000 cards with full color glossy on only ONE side is $30 PLUS shipping.

I looked a few other places, but I couldn’t find any other printer that could even come close to AP’s prices.

I also ran out of tyvek mailers. Usually I order from Uline, but someone had told me a while back that they’d found a much cheaper alternative. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember what it was! So I had another search on my hands.

What I ended up with was threerb on Ebay. I had been paying 27 cents a piece for my Tyvek mailers from Uline. I got 200 of the same size poly mailers from threerb for $16.22 shipped. That’s 8 cents an envelope!

WhatTheCraft Handmade Giveaway – Flying Aardvark necklace

This week’s WhatTheCraft Giveaway is sponsored by Sophia of Flying Aardvark, who is offering a needle felted purple die necklace!

 The winner of this giveaway will receive:
purple die necklace
Valued at $35!

How long have you been doing Flying Aardvark?
Only a few months, but I’ve been needle felting and doing other crafts for years.

Is it a full-time or part-time endeavor?
Definitely part time, though I’d love to be able to do it full time.

Where do you find inspiration?
Nature, Friends, other fiber artists, but mainly I just start working and see where that takes me.

What is your favorite item you’ve ever made?
Without a doubt this:

It’s so fun, and when you jump around or dance it bounces and jingles!

If you had a million dollars, what’s the first handmade item you’d buy?
A pocket watch!

What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?
Fruit loops! I know they’re bad for me, but I can’t help it!

Want more?

Find more about Flying Aardvark here:
Shop
Twitter
Tumblr

Giveaway Info:

Flying Aardvark is giving away a needle felted necklace.

There are lots of ways to enter, so even us lazy folk have a chance at winning!

This contest will close on September 10th at 11:59 PM EST. I will randomly select one winner after the contest closes.

You MUST comment on this post with your entries as you complete them.

If you do not comment, I will have no way to count your entries.
You can post a separate comment for each entry or
put all of your entries into one comment.

If you have Liked/Followed/etc. WhatTheCraft in previous giveaways,
you can still use that as entry, just comment saying you have done so.

Ways to Enter

On Facebook:
Please include your Facebook name in your comment

• “LIKE” WhatTheCraft on Facebook
• “LIKE” SmarmyClothes on Facebook
• Post a Facebook status update with a link to this giveaway
• Post a Facebook update with a link to your favorite item from Flying Aardvark

 

On Twitter:
Please include your Twitter name in your comment

• Follow Flying Aadvark on Twitter
  
• Follow WhatTheCraft on Twitter
• Follow SmarmyClothes on Twitter
• Retweet this tweet from your Twitter
• Tweet with a link to your favorite item from Flying Aardvark
  

 

Other Ways:

• Follow Flying Aardvark on Tumblr – include your Tumblr username in your comment
  
• Follow SmarmyClothes on Tumblr – include your Tumblr username in your comment
  
• Blog about this giveaway and/or about Flying Aardvark  - include a link to the post in your comment
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel – include your YouTube username in your comment

 

PLEASE make sure you include a valid email address on the comment form so I can get in touch with you if you win!

This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM EST on Saturday, September 10th, 2011.

How to Make Ruffle Butt Undies – video tutorial

I finally got this tutorial uploaded to Youtube without problems. YAY!

This two part tutorial will show you how to make a damn cute pair of  ruffle butt underwear. (Or plain butt underwear if you’re not feeling ruffly. But ruffles are fun, so don’t neglect the ruffles.)

Thank you to rufflefabric.com for providing the ruffle fabric. Check out their site, it’s like a candy store for us fabric fiends!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!  I have a crap ton of tutorials on the way (including drafting your own custom tube dress pattern, no-sew hair bows, sewing and hemming knits without a serger, making homemade limoncello and vanilla extract, and more)!

And if you have any tutorial requests, leave me a comment!

 

This tutorial was filmed using a Creative Labs Vado HD Digital Video Camera, a Canon Rebel (for still shots), and edited in Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

Smarmy Frocks

We’ve been watching Project Runway Australia, and they refer to pretty much everything as a “frock”, so I couldn’t resist. Frocks frocks frocks. Frockity frock.
This zombie brains dress will make a killer Halloween costume!

This is my Dark Alice dress in the fabric I have as a replacement for the original. It’s a super awesome stretch satin.

A slightly less “dark” Alice dress in black and white damask knit.

Hogwarts dress with lace and black and grey details.

I took a vintage slip and made it a little more retro with some topstitching, lace, bows, and garter clips.