I recently acquired new craft supplies in the form of yarn and fabric. I found some beautiful fabric, including laminated fabric (similar to oil cloth but thinner), from The Stitch Lab on So. Congress. I made darling daughter a re-usable lunchbag, lined with the laminated fabric and closable with a velcro tab. If you look closely, the fabric got caught in my feed dogs on the lower right. It's a reusable lunchbag, I am not worried enough about it to rip it out and risk tearing this fabric. Apparently there are tricks to sewing with laminated fabric and oil cloth that I am unaware of. There is a book out there that has some reportedly great techniques for sewing with this type of fabric. The author's bio is quite interesting:
Kelly McCants is the go-to girl for working with oilcloth. Known online as both Oilcloth Addict and Modern June, Kelly stays busy running her blogs and operating her online stores where she sells handmade housewares, accessories and oilcloth yardage.

Kelly has been sewing and making patterns since she was a teenager. After a career in costuming for films and theater, Kelly opened up Modern June in 2005. Kelly put her BFA in costuming to work by redesigning her favorite vintage aprons for the modern woman. Kelly quickly discovered oilcloth and created a line of housewares and accessories with the slick stuff. Kelly and her Junies make the handmade housewares for Modern June in Richmond, VA.

Kelly McCants, believes that there is still a bit of a 1950's housewife in all of us, even if we have left the days of June Cleaver behind--we all want a comfy place to call home. After all, our homes are where we make our memories, and it's where life's celebrations begin. Her Modern June goodies, Oilcloth Addict tutorials, and her new book "Sewing with Oilcloth," are all meant to help you create a bright and happy home that's easy to care for. Oilcloth, laminated cotton and chalk cloth items are her specialty, but helping you to make special memories is her goal.

If you have experience with this type of sewing, leave a comment. I would love to hear your experience, good and bad. I hope to conquer this fabric as it is beautiful and so practical.

Now, off to my next adventure! Pictures to follow, in about two weeks;P

Craft On!

Drop by 608 E. 3rd Street Austin, TX on Sunday, August 7 · 11:00am - 5:00pm for the Studio Downtown Trunk Show & Courtyard Event. You will get a chance to check out the great letter press of Austin Craft Riot team member Inviting, you can also see Feto Soap and make your own soap on location.

The Burnet Road Farmer Market, at 6701 Burnet Road Market, is doing something that we really love, providing a consistent space for local business to meet and sell to their neighbors. You can find fresh produce, dairy, and meet the people who who own the farms. On Saturday July 30th you will also get to meet Inviting and check out some of her impeccable letter press. Please stop by to shop local, and support your neighbors.

Tribe Comics, at 2919 Manchaca Rd, Suite 102Austin, TX 78704, will be hosting the Summer 2011 Indie Comic Book and Art Show from 6:00pm-9:00pm. As you might expect there will spectacular graphics work from Austin Craft Riot member Robo Roku, great art from Jenny Hearts Art, and fun comic art from Crab Apple Designs. Join some of Austin’s finest independent comic book creators and visual artists for a one-night exhibition and sale.

Have you been to Austin Flea at the Highball yet? Well why not? The Highball, at 1142 S Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78704, has cool dripping down the walls with plush banquets, bowling lanes, a bar, and private rooms for karaoke. Not to mention you can grab a good meal, and hear tunes from some of the best musicians Austin has to offer. The icing will be put on the cake on Saturday July 23rd from 11:00 am- 5:00 pm when you will have the chance to check out some amazing Austin Craft Riot artists in the AC, if the ambiance is not cool enough for you. You will have the chance to see the screen printing skills of Robo Roku, the Stunning housewares of Craft Chi, amazing letterpress by Inviting, and the lovely art of This Creative Life. Baby Bolt will keep the kids in stylish threads, and Sew La La will have just the right frock just for you. Head on out to see all the amazing artists and crafters.

Out and About

This Friday July 15th from 9:00am-9:oo pm and Saturday July 16th from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm you can see the fun and functional bath products of Nepenthe's Bathtime and the metal work of Hammer It Out at Christmas in July. There will be two model homes at 1105 and 1103 Walsh Trail in Cedar Park, Texas filled to the rafters with great gifts to help temper this summer heat.




Come out and celebrate with Renee of This Creative Life and Robo Roku at the Artists Screen Printing Cooperative (ASPCO) 1st Birthday Party & Member Exhibit on Saturday, July 16 from 7:00pm - 10:00pm.

There will be home-brewed beer, sangria, birthday cake, and minimal funk music spun by Missy Lektro & Daniel Allen. The festivities will take place at 1109 Shady Lane Austin, Texas. Come by to see some amazing screen printing skills!

Staying Creative

When you're an artist/creator/crafter/maker it's all about being creative. It's about expression and stepping outside the boundary box that you OR society has placed on your head. It's about sticking with it, pushing yourself, having fun and trying to stay inspired.

Sometimes that last bit about staying inspired gets left behind in the creative rubble. When you have daily jobs, families, pets, aspirations, school, volunteering and the rest of life to deal with, working to stay creative isn't at the top of the priority list. Sometimes it takes a little nudge to remind us what is important.



29 Ways to Stay Creative is the nudge you need. Being awesome isn't about luck, or ideas lightning-strikin' your head out of nowhere. It's about work, and perseverance and staying on your toes. It's about failing, and learning that it's okay to fail while pushing forward.

Read, lap up, IMPLEMENT.

{ via ManMadeDIY.com }

LPF Designs' 4th of July Pinwheel DIY

Bridget, the illustrious and ever-colorful lady behind LPF Designs, blog-posted a super cute and fun 4th of July tutorial to brighten up your holiday gathering this year! (It would also be a superb host/hostess gift!)

Pinwheels = rad. Buntings = RAD. Put 'em together and you get amazingly-awesome-crafty-fun-radness!

Fourth of July DIY

Oh, Fourth of July: You are the most American of holidays (besides Thanksgiving, and we're not even going to GO there). You are filled with family, friends, BBQs and backyard parties. You always include a spread of wonderful food for us to gobble on, a sense of togetherness and of pride for our country.

And what better way to display our love of you, to celebrate the day and show off a little to our family and friends, than with a little Fourth of July DIY magic?! Holidays give us a chance to flex our creative muscles in order to create an inviting and festive space as the backdrop for that special day, whether it be Fourth of July, Halloween, birthday parties or any other special holiday event in our lives. Here's a list of delectable DIYs to get your crafty juices a'flowin':


Truly simple, and so joyful to behold, these dessert toppers aren't just for the Fourth. You can alter them to accommodate any event, and the result is so pleasing!



Another pretty food and drink decoration, these sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers and straw tags would be equally as awesome as a home birthday party project. You can always count on Twig & Thistle for great ideas!



It's no secret that I'm a sucker for bunting, and this Fourth of July version is no exception! Bunting garlands are fabulous ways to brighten up and customize a space!


Snap, pop, CONFETTI! Make your own confetti popper rockets this Fourth, and watch the kiddos (and adults!) go wild!

Learn How to make a DIY Uncle Sam hat for the 4th of July. For more Holidays How-To Videos & Articles, visit WonderHowTo.

A DIY Uncle Sam hat?! Yes please. PERFECT for that silly Dad or adventurous mate in your clan.

Protect those surfaces from your guests' forgetful (and possibly drunken) hands with these gorgeous DIY waterproof coasters!


The always resourceful Design Sponge is an excellent source of crafty designy projects, and this six pack caddy is too cute to pass up! A great addition to your table, or a hostess gift for a lucky someone.

Etsy Craft Party 2011 by Austin Craft Riot!

On Friday Austin Craft Riot joined Etsy in hosting a world wide craft party. We want to thank everyone who came out this year. It is always such a treat to see folks get their hands dirty and find some beauty come out of their hard work. Between the button making, screen printing, duct tape jewelry, and upcylcled bags those in attendance were decked out to hit the town in their handmade fun. You can check out pictures from the photo booth, as well as all the other good times had at Starving Art Studios.





We would be remiss to not give a special thanks to The Lonely Gourmet who very graciously supported us in bringing snacks to the crafty masses, as working this hard can really bring on an appetite. At the Lonely Gourmet "Where Single Doesn't Mean Boring" you can get crafty with your dinner.




And last but certainly not least a big thanks to Austin Craft Riot's team members Cheryl of Liberty Originals, Katie of Sophie and the Cat, Beth of Paired Hearts, Tara of R&R Designs, Amelia of AmeliaBeth, Tisa of Tisa's Creations , Lani of Elle Dee Designs, Iliana of Bookgirlstudio, Brandy of Pigsey Art, Shay of Constant Dreamer, Amy of Craft Chi, Megan of Hammer It Out, and Renee of Robo Roku for working very hard to bring this amazing party to the people. We look forward to having more crafting events like this in the future and hope you will join us again next time.

Thanks to Lonely Gourmet!

We just want to send a huge big ole walloping THANK YOU to Lonely Gourmet for generously agreeing to sponsor our Etsy Craft Party 2011 tonight! Visit them on their website, and talk at 'em on Twitter.

We are indebted to you, and your awesomeness. Don't miss out on this FREE craft-tastic event happening tonight. Bring a friend and a yearnin' for learnin'! Now let's get our CRAFT on tonight y'all!

Etsy Craft Party 2011 by Austin Craft Riot

Do you like the feeling of hot glue on your fingertips? Are you an old pro at wielding a pair of fancy edge scissors? Wanna make a grocery bag out of a tshirt, or screenprint a rad design on an old tote bag? If you answered yes (or even if you answered no... we're equal opportunity) please join your local Austin Craft Riot (formerly known as Team Etsy Austin) at a craft-tacular Etsy Craft Party 2011 at Starving Art Studios on Friday June 10th!


Last year was a smashing success, and we're planning an even better, BIGGER party this year. We'll have screen printing (bring your totes, shirts, boxers etc. to decorate!), button making, produce bag makin', duct tape jewelry creatin', super tasty snacks and more. The best part is... wait for it.. it's FREE! And you get to hobnob and learn from the brightest (and nicest!) crafters and makers in the greater central Texas area.

The WonderCraft is getting crafty with us, too! Bring something you'd like to jazz up with a screen printed design or two. They'll be doing their crafty thing in their beautiful Airstream trailer, Stella.

So don't dally! Check our Facebook event page for updates, and RSVP via the Meetup.com page for the event (we gotta know if you'll be there so we can bring enough food for you to eat and supplies for you to craft). You don't need to bring anything but yourself (your item to screenprint on too), your friends and an insatiable need to CREATE.

Pass this on! We want to see oodles and scads of Austinites there, just waiting to make!

Father's Day Gift Roundup

Dads can be hard to shop for. They buy everything they want and already have everything they need. They work hard and play hard and don't ask for much from us but a little love and appreciation. If you're struggling with what to get the rad Dad in your life this Father's Day look no further than your local Etsy Austin team!

Our members make and create one-of-a-kind items for EVERY sort of Dad. From coffee-lovers to gardeners, from cowboys to mustache-aficionados to home chefs... and more!

{click on the images to view more info}

Stainless Steel Small Hanging Flower Pot by Hammer it Out

Mustache Zipper Pouch by Gora Handmade

Cup o Joe Print by NessaDee

Hollow Book Flask Safe ''Home Appliance Servicing'' by PommesFrites

Father's Day Card // Scrabble Message by CrabAppleDesign

Austin is Awesome- Men's Organic Cotton Tee by PairedHearts

Western Cowboy Embroidered Art by Lo and Behold

Set of two Squid Linends Tea Towels by Squid Ink Kollective

Renegade Craft Fair

The 2nd Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Austin will be May 21st- 22nd from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm at the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78704. If you are not familiar with Renegade Handmade they are a brick and mortar store that host handmade events all around the country. Since the Etsy Austin team has such an amazing array of artists you will get to see a bunch of them there.




Baby Bolt will be at the show with one-of-a-kind or limited-run clothing and accessories for the little ones.





The team of Robo Roku creates unique art, apparel, accessories from original images they create.








Craft Chi makes bags, aprons and belts out of fabric that she has printed original images on.








Merrit Gade Fine Handmades will knock your socks off with her Tiaras and jewelry that she creates with wire and gems.




Squid Ink Collective screen prints original images on shirts and home goods. As they say print and destroy.

Pommes Frites makes housewares and accessories using eco-friendly and sustainable materials.

2nd Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Austin

This is a show not to be missed! Many EtsyAustin team members will be participating as will tons of talented artists from around the country. This indie-craft marketplace is free to attend and will be full of clothing, jewelry, baby & kid goodies, home & garden items, delicious edibles, bath products, and so much more. Read about the event as well as special activities like crafty demos and photo booths with props at the Renegade site.

We hope to see you there!

Violet Crown Festival

The Violet Crown Festival is this Saturday May 7th from 11:00 am- 6:00 pm at 6701Burnett Road Austin, Texas. This is the day before Mother's Day and will be a great chance to grab something great for to treat your mom on her special day.

Tina Lewis creates gorgeous pottery that will brighten your home.

Amelia Beth will have you covered with scrabble tile jewelry.

Blue Bamboo creates accessories out of duct tape. Look at this clutch.

May Day

Drop by Cafe Medici at 2222B Guadalupe St. Austin, Texas 78705 from 10:00-5:00 May 1st for May Day. At the show you will find some EtsyAustin team members with all their amazing wares.

CraZeeCrafteeZ will be at the show with beautiful hand felted jewelry.

Crab Apple Designs will be out with her beautiful paper crafts including these adorable coasters.

Bright-Eyed Birdie will be out with fun jewelry and upcylced cassette case journals.

Shop Inviting will have gorgeous letter press items.

And Radiant Baubles will be out with fun, unique magnets.

Shop Crafty!

The Shop Crafty event will be held April 16th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm at the Marchesa, 6406 N. IH-35 Austin, Texas 78752. You will have the opportunity to get creative in the Craft Lounge learning jewelry, sewing, and craft projects. There will also be over 60 artists showing their handmade goods including some from the Etsy Austin team.

Anne Marie makes beautiful bags and is also one of the talented hosts of the show.

Pigsey Art gives new life to old things with upcycled journals, stickers, and magnets.

AmeliaBeth creates fun accessories from Scrabble tiles.

Robo Roku creates buttons, notebooks, and even shoes from original characters they create.

Peach Bear creates sweet items out of felt, and clay.

Pommes Frites upcycles forgotten books and maps into buttons, mirrors, and books safes.

Debbie Carroll Designs creates beautiful jewelry layering vintage beads and findings into what will be become your favorite piece.

Hammer It Out creates functional and fancy home goods out of stainless steel.