Monthly Archives: November 2009

Perks

Just wanted to remind everyone that there ARE some perks to reading my blog - discounts! That was my favorite part of the job when I worked retail.

In appreciation for everyone’s kind words during his giveaway, Bill from House of Six Cats is offering a 20% discount if you shop before Christmas. Humble Luna, our current giveaway artist, is also offering 20% off to my readers.

All you have to do to, at both shops, is type “The Handmade Experiment” into the notes to seller before checking out and a 20% discount will be taken off the before shipping price and you’ll receive an updated invoice. Happy shopping and thanks for supporting Portland artists and handmade this holiday season!

10 to Win

Sandy from Shopaholicmommy.com won my House of Six Cats giveaway. Thanks everyone for entering and keep reading! I’ve got a great giveaway from Humble Luna happening right now and I’ll have another fun giveaway on Wednesday so stay tuned!!

HumbleLuna Giveaway

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Fellow Portland Mama, Heidi, from Humble Luna, makes these adorable and durable costume tails that every and any kid would love. You may remember her from my Monday Must Have: Children’s Halloween Costumes post last month. Well now she’s offering up a Dragon Tail from her shop to one of you! How cool is that!?!

Heidi loves sewing and drawing. She started making children’s costumes 8 years ago when her daughter Sophie was born. (Isn’t it interesting how many of us start on our crazy crafting journeys when we have kids?) While designing costumes as an intern at the Portland Children’s Museum, Heidi came up with the idea for these Dragon Tails. They are a safe, easy to put on dress-up toy that also appeals to both boys and girls.

If you are local and would like to buy one of these great Dragon Tails check out Piccolina on 26th and SE Clinton or Plue on SE Woodstock and 44th. You can also find Humble Luna at Milagros‘ (5433 N.E.30th Ave) fundraiser for Mercy Corps. This Holiday Bazaar is on December 5th from 11am-3pm.

Everybody else can check out her etsy shop. Make sure to check back often! Heidi is planning on adding hand painted butterfly/fairy wings and other costume pieces soon. Just write The Handmade Experiment into the seller’s notes and receive a 20% discount!!

Now for the giveaway!

Just leave a comment here before Sunday the 6th, midnight PST. Tweet about this giveaway for another chance at winning, then leave me another comment letting me know. Remember to subscribe to my blog for upcoming giveaways. I’ll be having another one on Wednesday as part of the Sew, Mama, Sew December Giveaway Day! I’ll announce the winner on Monday the 7th. Good luck!

Lucky #7

The winner of the 3 pattern package from Figgy’s Kids is LUCKY #7, Angela! She said:

Hey hey! Thanks for the give-away, and I’m already a loyal subscriber.

I’m so excited that the talented Shelly is in my part of the world. I love the Mary Go ‘Round pattern. It’s great to see that there are cute patterns for us novice seamstresses!

 

Thanks again everybody for commenting. Feedback is a great thing for an artist. Don’t forget to comment on this weeks giveaway for a chance to win some great functional art from House of Six Cats.

House of Six Cats Giveaway (Meow!)

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The first time I mentioned House of Six Cats my family and I were headed on a mini vacation to the Oregon Coast. It seems fitting now that the second prize in my Giveaway Extravaganza is from this same shop and comes right after getting back from another little mini vacation, but this time it was to the Columbia Gorge at the base of Mount Adams. The Pacific Northwest is such a scenic locale and Bill, the artist behind House of Six Cats knows how best to frame that beauty.

After an absence of 1o years, Bill was inspired to pick up a camera again by the birth of his daughter Cyan in 2007. He and his family moved from New York to Portland, Oregon in 2008 and now he tries to find the unseen beauty and elegance in the ordinary and pedestrian. Besides making beautiful, functional art with his photography, he also runs the POE (Photographers of Etsy) Street Team.

If you are local to Portland, make sure to check his work out at America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar Nov. 27, 28 & 29th and Dec. 4, 5 & 6 at the Portland Expo Center. You can also see him at the OHSU Heart Research 2009 Holiday Bazaar in the OHSU BICC Gallery (3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road) on Thursday Dec 10 (10-6) and he is work is on permanent display at the LOVE ART Gallery on the corner of SE 13th and Spokane. House of Six Cats is also a proud member of the NW Handmade community. If you can’t wait to see if you’ve won, just remember to type “The Handmade Experiment” into the seller’s notes during checkout and get a 10% discount until 12/6.

Now for the giveaway!

Bill has been generous enough to offer up one set of coasters featuring his own wonderful photography. Thank you, Bill! To win, simply go to his shop and have a look around. Choose which set of coasters from the ceramic coaster section (the ones using Bill’s photography) you would like to win and come back here and comment. For more chances to win twitter about this giveaway or share it through some other social networking site making sure to comment here a second time letting me know what you’ve done. Thanks everyone for helping me support handmade and our great Portland artists!

I’ll leave the comments open until Sunday night the 29th at midnight PST and let everyone know who the winner is on that Monday. This week should be pretty busy since PZ doesn’t have school and no classes either. If I don’t get a chance to post again – Happy Thanksgiving!

*Note from Bill – “WOW!! I am truly flattered by what everyone has said!! I am amazed by the amount of comments. Seriously, I had no idea the response would be this big! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I can’t wait to see which one of you wonderful people wins!! Good luck to you all! I also hope you have all had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend!”

Keyka Lou Sale

Keyka Lou is having a holiday sale! Patterns are only $5! Don’t miss out!!

Welcome to the Handmade Experiment’s Giveaway Spectacular!

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From now until Christmas I’m planning on having at least one Giveaway a week. Yay! *cue fireworks, marching band, and baton twirlers* I’m calling it the Handmade Experiment’s Giveaway Spectacular! WooHoo! *cue acrobats, fire-dancers, and trick ponies* Expect to find great prizes from some of the most talented artists and designers in and around Portland Oregon Alright! *light the cannons, send out the dancing bears, and make room for the clown cars*

What the heck! I figure with enough smoke, mirrors, and excitement no one will notice that I’m not posting much about my own handmade items. It is the holiday season after all. Most of the handmade things I’m making are for people who read this blog! Oops! So, I’m officially putting my Santa’s Little Helper sign up and making my studio a No Peeking zone. I’ll show off the stuff I make for the kids, but unfortunately the rest is top secret.

Now On With the Show!

Let’s start this thing out right with one of my favorite flickr buddies and fellow crafty mamas, Shelly Figueroa owner and creator of Figgy’s Kids. Fairly new to Portland, she just moved here nine months ago from Ohio, Shelly is an awesome seamstress, clothing designer, teacher, and pattern maker who has generously offered up a 3 pattern package. That’s right! Not one, not two, but three patterns are up for grabs!

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The first pattern in the 3 pattern package is her Ella’s Bubble Bottom Skirt. This is a fun and easy reversible bubble skirt pattern with an elastic waist and size range of 12 months to 6 years. What little girl wouldn’t love to have one of these?

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The second pattern in the package is her Mary Go ‘Round Dress. It is a simple to sew, reversible wrap dress with a snap closure and a size range of 2-6.

3545127596_7484a863d8holyjumpsuitbatgirlpatternAnd last, but not least, is her Holy Jumpsuit, Batgirl! pattern. This adorably nostalgic jumpsuit is a halter top with an elastic back and big ruffles at the leg in a size range of 18 months – 6 years.

jumpsuitAnd the best part is Figgy’s believes in sharing! So not only are they simple to make and fun to wear, but you can also sell the clothing you make so long as you give Figgy’s credit for the pattern. I love this! Thanks Shelly!

If you are in Portland and would like to get one of Shelly’s patterns check out Cool Cottons and Bolt Fabric Boutique. If you’d like to take a class from Shelly she’ll be teaching a Bird Mobile class on 12/1 and The To Go Artist Organizer class on 12/6 both at Bolt. Check at both Bolt and Cool Cottons for future classes taught by Shelly. She also teaches at the Lake Oswego Community School if you have a son or daughter interested in learning hand stitching, machine sewing, or other fun craft projects.

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Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. If you want to win this adorable 3 pattern package deal I want you to do three things.
1. Subscribe to my blog. (bookmark me, follow me, put me in a reader. Just come back!)
2. Go to either Figgy’s Kids or 1000 Markets, look around and then come back here and comment. (favorite item, next pattern piece, what you think is missing. In short, give Shelly, a hard-working crafty mama of two some love by giving her some feedback, please!)

3. Make sure you leave me a way to contact you.

If you want more chances to comment and win simply do some networking for me. Facebook, Twitter, whatever. Just leave me another comment letting me know how you got the word out. I’ll leave comments open until Sunday night midnight PST. Monday morning I’ll announce the winner. Thanks! Now I’ve got to get back to sewing!!
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Two Recent Gifts

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I used Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing for Baby dress pattern for this present for our friend Mabel’s first birthday party last weekend. (The real color is closer to the first one. The felt is like a lime green) Instead of using Lotta’s pocket pal pattern I cut out this fun nesting doll from my yard of Kokka created Trefle fabric. I used some scrap sage green crushed velvet for the back and stuffed it with some bamboo filling. Ally, if you are reading, you should be able to wash the whole thing in cold and air dry. The gingham was some I’m gotten from Knittn Kitten over the summer.

A couple of new things for me with this one. My first time making my own bias tape and adding it to sleeves and neck. Actually I think this was my first “over the head” dress, all my other ones being pinafores, so that’s fun! It was pretty easy although I will say that I really DISLIKE bias tape!! I even made my own packaging with some vintage wool felt I got at Knittn Kitten last time I was in.

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Shannon if you’re reading this STOP NOW!! Continue reading

Park City Girl Fall Quilt Festival Pt. 3

If you haven’t checked out Pt.1 or Pt.2 you really should. This is Pt. 3 and the final installment of my Park City Girl Fall Quilt Festival favorites roundup. Enjoy! And make sure to check back on Monday. I’m going to be having an awesome giveaway to start this holiday season off right.
Picture 6Bumble Bean‘s Cheap Hotels Quilt – I love the concept and design on this one. So cool! Continue reading

Over the Moon!

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Sure, its bragging, but I can’t help myself. I entered a picture of PZ and Q’s astronaut and space alien costumes into nonchalant mom‘s Halloween Costume Contest and I won!! I am so excited! Yay!! Of course, if I win a contest with my very first handmade Halloween costumes, where do I go from there? Who cares! For now, I’m over the moon!!

 

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