. . . In case you were wondering, here's the reason - AND the projected return date!

 

Left to Right: Doll by Digibudi, Poster by Adam Louie, Hat by Josh Moon. All images used with permission.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- A look at the world of men who craft, featuring Josh Moon, Adam Louie, Michael Handley, and Digibudi.

- What does crafting mean to these guys, and what's it like to be a male crafter in a predominantly-female crafting culture?

- Possibly a sweeping gender stereotype or two, but only by accident.

Link to my Guests:

- Sewer-Sewist, a blog Josh writes with his wife, Sarah.

- Adam shows up from time to time on his wife Kayte's blog, Love Forever.

- State of the Craft is Michael's blog about quilting.

- Read about Digibudi over at Digibudi's Digital Garden.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with spiritual crafter Amy Kleene.

- Thoughts on how crafting is a spiritual act, and how handmade things can be sacred objects.

- Ideas on how to use handmade things to create sacred spaces, and how to use them.

Links for you:

- Amy's website, Blessing Bird.

- A great book: Crafts for the Spirit, by Ronni Lundy.

- Creative/Spiritual food for thought, on Soulful Living.

Lots O' Weave-y Links:

- Check out eloomanation, an awesome site about small, simple looms.

- This cabinet door loom has great potential.

- Some interesting history about the Weave-It loom.

- If you covet a Weave-It loom, Roger Stark shows you how to build your own.

- The diagrams at this link will help you understand how to change color in your weaving.

- Here are some great pictorial instructions for cardboard looms.

- Another cardboard loom how-to, this one based on a box.

- A Cardboard Looms photo pool, on Flickr.

- Amazing stuff made with the Weave-It, also on Flickr.

- . . . And one last Flickr link: the Weavette Photo Pool.

Image courtesy of Ryan McAbery, Littleput Books.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- Learn about marketing your art and craft, with Ryan McAbery of Littleput Books.

- Pick up some tips for marketing your work within the community of Etsy.com users.

- Consider some ways to market yourself to the world outside Etsy.

- Get over your fear of marketing once and for all!

Some Markety Links:

- Check out Ryan's Etsy shop, Littleput Books.

- Check out Ryan's blog as well - great tips there!

- Pamela Slim has good marketing advice, too.

- CraftBoom is another good resource.

- A resource for international sellers: Etsy for Everyone.

- ...And lastly, here's Etsy's own marketing advice.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Lauren Redniss, author of Century Girl.

- A glimpse into Lauren's fascinating visual style of collage combined with drawing and handwritten text.

- The equally-inspiring story of the book's subject, Doris Eaton Travis.

Images here are posted with the kind permission of the author.

Links:

- Check out Lauren Redniss' website.

- Order a copy of Century Girl.

- Watch Doris dance on her 101st birthday.

- Doris has written a book, too!

- Doris at IMDb, just for fun.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:


- An interview with Ann Rubin and Laura Truffaut, of afghans for Afghans.

- Thoughts on using creative skills to bring comfort to people in need.


- A glimpse into what it takes to run this amazing project.

Links to many topics discussed in the interview:

- Explore the afghans for Afghans website.

- Photo galleries of Afghan people with their knitted and crocheted gifts.

- Learn more about the CURE Hospital Campaign for newborns in Kabul.

- Browse Afghan themed knitting patterns - an afghans for Afghans fundraiser.

- Participate in Heidi's knit and crochet-along for Afghanistan.

- Read How Knitting for Charity Changed My Life, by afghans for Afghans volunteer Candice Key.

- Read about Mason-Dixon Knitting's Afghanalong.

- Read Knitting for Peace, by Betty Christiansen.

- Read Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini.

- Read Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson.

- Learn a little bit of craftivism history, from the Red Cross Knitters.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:


- Making stuff with pasta . . . for grownups!

- An interview with pasta-crafter extraordinaire Lancea LaPorte.


- You know you're curious . . . .

Links (Marinara or Alfredo?):

- See more of Lancea's work, pasta and otherwise.

- Check out these Pasta Lace Ornaments on How Stuff Works.

- Pasta crafting on HGTV? I kid you not.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:


- An interview with artist Kirsty Hall, about her year of daily making, The Diary Project.

- Thoughts on how making something every day will change you, and challenge you.


- Excellent advice for embarking on a daily practice of your own.

Kirsty Hall's Links:

- Kirsty's artist website.

- Kirsty's main blog.

- The Diary Project Blog.

- The Diary Project Flickr Set.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play� button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:


- All about making gingerbread houses, with Pam Harris (My mom!)


- Notes on how to bake it, how to build it, and how to decorate it.


- Cautionary tales from our family's Gingerbread Disasters.

G-Bread Links:

- Martha's gingerbread house gingerbread recipe.

- Here's a giant photo gallery of gingerbread houses, for inspiration.

- Some nice detailed instructions from About.com.

- Another great tutorial, at Simply Recipes.

- Lifehacker has a nice tutorial, too.

- Recipes, blueprints, tips, and photos at Celebrating Christmas.com.

- Okay, just go look at this little modern gingerbread house.

- Or, you can just enjoy this awesome decorate-it-yourself online gingerbread house at Allsorts.