Cheap Thrills

This week's featured artist is a designer of wearable art. He is inspired by his travels to Japan to the galleries of lower Manhattan. Let's meet Spencer!

Name: Spencer Moy, 29
Hometown: Manhattan, NY
Occupation: Industrial designer, owner and designer of Smoy PhotoCuffs
Craft: Handmade photo cuffs
Web site: www.smoy.net

How did you get into making photo cuffs?

After working abroad in Tokyo, I came back to New York. The idea of the Smoy PhotoCuff was hovering in the back of my head since leaving Japan but I thought I needed more work experience. Tired of freelancing and temping, I decided to take the idea off the shelf and into reality.

What's your best tip when making something?

Don't be afraid to show your designs to friends. Feedback is very important. It's a humbling experience, but you can learn so much from another person's perspective.

Where do you find inspiration?

For the photocuffs, the inspiration is to create a simple yet stylish canvas that people can transform into artwork of their own to wear and share. You can take your favorite photos, clippings from newspapers/magazines, etc and make your own unique creation -- a visual collage of your memories and a personal statement. For more inspiration I like to go to crafts fairs and galleries in Chelsea.

Continue reading "DIYer of the Week: Spencer Moy" »

If you've been reading this blog for some time, you'll know that Etsy.com is one of my favorite Web sites for buying and selling everything handmade. Etsy is eye candy for the craft lover! I recently discovered this adorable animated video that clearly illustrates how to buy or sell your crafts online via Etsy.com. Check it out!

-- Corris

DIYers know it's never too early to start thinking about the holiday season. On Long Island, the Martha Stewart Crafts holiday collection debuts Friday, Nov. 2 at Michaels retail stores with dozens of new products to help you trim, glue and glitter your way to a festive home.

The offerings include a cleverly designed glitter ornament card kit, $16.99, which includes everything you need to make eight custom cards with die-cut ornaments the recipients can detatch and hang on their trees.

For decoration, the glitter snowflake kit (above), $14.99, comes with four chipboard cut-outs from 5- to 11-inches in diamater plus three vials of glitter, satin ribbon and craft glue.

If that's not enough sparkle, molded paper acorn ornament gift boxes, $8.99 for three, are perfectly sized to hold little trinkets. The vintage, European-inspired boxes are sold plain but can be hand-decorated with ribbon, glitter and other embelishments.

The collection also includes more than 40 spools of ribbon, holiday gift wrap and tags, seasonal acrylic stamps, plus a host of patterned boxes, tissue paper and baker's twine to package homemade cookies and candy.

This week's featured crafter is a stay-at-home mom, but she says, "SAHMs know that term is an oxymoron of sorts because we are rarely at home!" Let's meet Kelly!

Name: Kelly Walker, 32
Hometown: Middle Island, NY
Occupation: Stay-at-home mother
Web site: www.betterwithabow.com

How did you get into your craft?

It all started shortly after my fourth child was born. Ever since I was a little girl, I've been a sucker for hair ribbons. After having my own daughter, I quickly realized that by the time she had enough hair for the traditional hair clips she'd be choosing boys and make-up over ribbons and bows. Plus, no matter how much pink one dresses a baby girl in her mother is bound to hear "what's his name?" or "he's so cute" at some point. It probably didn't help matters that my own little bundle of pink looks identical to her big brothers!

I wanted to find pretty hair bows for my baby that didn't involve silly headbands, Velcro or glue. I started making adorable bitty hair bows called Bald Baby Bows that are guaranteed to hold in baby fine, barely there hair! Things just sky rocketed from there and now I create and sell a full line children's accessories and apparel that is custom crafted with ribbons and bows.

What's your best craft tip?

Stay organized! If you're planning to craft on a large scale, take the extra time to create and update a detailed inventory list. This way, you'll always know what supplies you have in stock and what needs to be ordered.

Continue reading "DIYer of the Week: Kelly Walker" »

Warren Berry wrote about Cellfire, a neat service that sends money-saving coupons to mobile phones:

Why is it that shoppers who produce coupons at checkout time are always looked at as if they were dinosaurs by younger consumers impatiently waiting in line behind them?

Maybe the young shoppers will start saving some money, too, now that the coupon has gone cellular. Using a free service from a new company called Cellfire, they can download coupon numbers onto their cell phones, show the code number to a salesclerk and get the same price break as the person clutching those ragged old paper coupons.

Right now it's a free service, as long as you have established a text service with a phone company, point out the consumerists who run the Telecommunications Research & Action Center (TRAC.org).

Today. About two-thirds of the users of these new "mobile coupons" are between the ages of 18 and 34, Cellfire says. That's probably because they're accepted at Papa John's Pizza, Domino's Pizza, Subway, TGI Friday's and Cold Stone Creamery, and they work with Alltel, AT&T and Verizon Wireless data plans.

Long term. With easy-to-use "mobile coupons," retailers may enjoy redemption rates in the double digits instead of the paltry 1 percent they get now, according to Frost & Sullivan, the market consultants. And it'll be a lot cheaper than mailing them addressed "ATTN RESIDENT."

The Long Island Craft Guild's Bowls of Plenty committee is hosting a worthwhile event. This group collects handmade bowls from regional potters and sells them at soup luncheons to raise money for charity organizations.

Here's more details:

Who: Long Island Craft Guild

What: Bowls of Plenty Soup Luncheon

Where: Doubleday Babcock Senior Center
45 East Main St., Oyster Bay, N.Y. 11771

When: Sunday, November 4th, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission: $20 adults, $10 children 12 and under. Cost of admission includes the purchase of a handmade bowl. All proceeds benefit Celia Flower Food Pantry, Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Contact: Mia Levin (516) 662-1080

Photo: Drawn with Crayola crayons by Tiona Marco, tionacrayola.etsy.com

Loren Talbot & Jean Tanler, owners of a new store called Local Labels, has invited you to join them in celebrating the launch of their specialty foods & gifts Web site. Meet local artisans and manufacturers and raise a toast to all good things made within the five boroughs of New York City!

If you're going...

The party will be held on Wednesday, October 24th, from 6-8 p.m. at the Lower East Side Girls Club Gallery at 56 E. 1st Street between 1st & 2nd Ave in Manhattan.

Please RSVP: rsvp@locallabels.com

Visit their Web site: www.LocalLabels.com

This week's featured crafter is a mother of four girls who found a great way to stay at home and still make money doing what she loves. Let's meet Irma!

Name: Irma Brenes
Hometown: Ridge, NY
Occupation: Optometric technician
Craft: Handcrafted note cards

How did you get into your craft?

Twenty five years ago when I was a young mother, I desperately wanted to stay home and have a home-based business. I had always enjoyed painting and drawing. It still is my passion. As a child I would spend hours coloring and drawing.

Needless to say, it made sense for me to handcraft my own greeting cards, note cards and stationary. During those early years of motherhood when I was home, I made many handcrafted note cards that my mom and dad would take to work and sell for me. Once the kids got older my hobby was put on the back burner.

But my love and need to be creative could not stay on the back burner forever. It wasn’t long before I began to pick up my watercolors, crayons and rubber stamps again to create mini works of art. Over the years I must have created thousands of handcrafted note cards which I have used myself or have given away as gifts or as donations.

Continue reading "DIYer of the Week: Irma Brenes" »

Photos of pint-size ghosts and goblins all dressed up for Halloween can be published into custom photo greeting cards for grandparents and friends too far-flung to witness the big night of trick-or-treating in person.

Photo sites like Shutterfly, Kodak and Snapfish do all the heavy lifting for you — just pick a design, upload your photo and type a message. What’s more, all these sites will print and mail your cards directly to your loved ones. Prices average $2.50 per card, plus tax, postage and a small handling fee.

With the popularity of custom photo books seeming to explode more every season, sites are offering even more selection in themed books tailored to Halloween, family recipes, baby's first year and many more. On Shutterfly, you can even create a personalized story book for kids, putting their name and photos alongside Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Big Bird ($39.99).

I've always dreamed of writing a novel, but I never have the time to sit down and bang it out. However, I do have time to create a zine! This quirky YouTube video by SamProof shows you how one sheet of white paper and a few origami-style moves can yield a super cool little booklet. Create your own zine to showcase your personal thoughts, tell a few jokes, and then add a cartoon for good measure. It's easy and fun!