OC Crafters

Fall is Here

2006-08-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

I've been busier than ever trying to get the Fall line out. I do have more to add but I'm really happy about what's on the site now and I'm also in total love with these Jewel Necklaces. They are giant 1 1/2 diameter or so "jewels" on a long sterling silver chain. My favorite is the aqua necklace. They are faceted glass jewels and come in 5 different shapes and colors!

Bonnin Designs in a New Book

2006-08-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to finally today, after over a year of wanting to spill the beads (I mean beans), announce the release of "Dazzling Beaded Jewelry (DIY): 50 great projects"by Lark Publishing. I have a project that was on the DIY show in this book. When I get ahold of a copy I can give more details as to which project they picked to feature. You can get a copy of it at any bookstore or online at Amazon.com . Yay, I'm published!

Bonnin Designs at the Irvine Barclay Theatre

2006-08-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

my assistant (my daughter)
I was asked to be the jewelry vendor at the Flamenco Shop for the New World Flamenco Festival in Irvine. This is for 8 shows and I am selling my flamenco jewelry as well as my other jewelry. If you're there, stop by and say hi. I've always wanted to sell jewelry at a flamenco show, but I was always dancing at the ones I went to. Not this time. These are the quintessential Flamenco performers. It's awesome so far. Sales are great and so are all of the shows!
Link: http://www.thebarclay.org/

Notebooks at Chebang!

2006-08-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

I've been working on these handbound notebooks for the shop. Each one features original, one-of-a-kind artwork and hold 24 blank pages inside.

So far I have made 12. I hope to sell these at Felt Club this weekend.

Chebang! News: Club Shrinky Freak

2006-07-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

At Chebang!, the very 1st Club Shrinky Freak package is going out to its members. We are thrilled and can't wait for you to get this little bundle of goodness. In this package you'll recieve the Shrink Sheet newsletter with shrink related templates, articles and even poetry. You'll also get a handmade rollerskate charm, and your very own official Club Shrinky Freak pin.

If you haven't signed up for the club yet and you want to join in the fun, GO HERE.

speaking of skulls...

2006-07-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

while we are on the subject of skulls, i will share a skull cap that i just finished for matt.

matt's head is on the small side so he has a really hard time finding beanies that fit well. luckily, i found a pattern in a book at the library (i am pretty sure the book was hollywood knits style) that fits him really well and knits up really quick.

i did modify the pattern a bit. i adapted it so it could be knit in the round rather than flat. at matt's request, i added a little extra length so the beanie covers his ears.

i used red heart acrylic yarn in the green camo color way which turned into neat-o stripes as i knit.

Skull Bag

2006-07-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

It's funny that Shari posted about my love of skulls, because I've been working on a new bag with what else, but a skull applique. I can't seem to escape their somewhat scary and humorous faces. This one is not the final product, though I feel it's close to the actual design. I feel like it needs a few tweeks here and there. Let me know what you think.

I absolutely love working with wool felt. It's so versatile and strong. It takes lots of wear and tear and it holds is shape well. It's nice to work a bag like a sculpture. If you look through the handle you can glimpse the first attempt at making this new bag. It turned out a bit out of shape. I tried to keep the seams inside, but it just bunched up when I reversed it. The felt was too stiff. That is why all the seams are on the outside on this new one. I like the blanketstitch look anyway. It makes it look very finished and handcrafted.

It's about the Hair

2006-07-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

I just finished these assorted heart barrettes for a special order and so I kept on with the theme.
Here's one with a flower:

And then today I was reading on Style Bakery about how "in" skulls are. You don't have to tell Silvia of Chebang that though. She practically started that whole thing quite some time ago! So here is my contribution to the whole skull theme. In a barrette of course. I'm unsure as to whether to add these to the website for sale. I'd love to hear opinions.

felt club

2006-05-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

saturday was the super awesome felt club in hollywood. i know hollywood is a bit out of orange county but two of our members were vending so it deserves a nod.
silvia and monica both set up shop for the day in the parking lot of meltdown comics. i went as a customer on a very tight budget, i came away with four awesome mini prints from reddingk plus lots of business cards to make future purchases. there was so much awesome hand crafted goodness to was hard to decide! jill bliss was there. her stuff is amazing and she is super nice.
felt club is destined for success. the whole time i was there, it was bustling and it's only going to grow as word gets out. i am considering vending in the fall/winter since i am not a fan of the sun or heat. if you have a chance definitly head up to hollywood on the second saturday of the month to check it out.

-melissa

Felt Club: Southern California Craft Fairs

2006-04-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Fabric Fest Pt. 1: Fabrics for Free

2006-03-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

How can you get free fabric? There are so many great fabrics to purchase online and I'm sure there is a great fabric store in the town you live in, but there are some of us who may hardly have enough money for rent, electricity, and some groceries. Your last three dollars are spent in the aisles of a thrift store to find a treasure. If you want to sew a bag, pillow case or stuffed cutie, $9.00 a yard is out of the question. Here are some ideas that may be your solutions to this dilema.
CLOTHING: Clean out your closet, clean out your mom's, ask around, see if any girlfriends have old clothes to get rid of. Here are the clothing and accessories that I have cut up and used:
Scarves and Bandanas. They come in all sorts of materials like cotton, silk, polyester blends, rayon. Sew them together to make one large patchwork piece of fabric. Make small coinpurses. Make a scrap quilt.
Jeans. Cut them up and use them to make all sorts of sturdy goodies. I love the texture and color of denim with cotton prints.
Ties. Men's ties have all sorts of amazing patterns and textures. Here is a small purse I made from a psychedelic tie:

LINENS: Old sheets, curtains, towels, other linens, etc... If only I kept all my old bed sheet sets...Garfield, snoopy, holly hobby. If you "Ain't too proud to beg" ask around the neighborhood, put up a flyer in your local coffee shop, or put an add in craigslist. You never know who has the dopest vintage goodies in the back of their linen closets. Here is a sample of a tote I made from a vintage sheet given to me by a friend:

Leftovers or Never-Been-Used Fabrics: Don't forget your crafty friends and family. If they know your looking for great fabrics they'll always hook you up. You wouldn't believe the bags full of fabric I have recieved from my quilting mommy-in-law and her best friend. My crafty auntie in Madera also sends me lots of fabrics. Here is a pic of of one of my hauls from my generous Aunt Beth:

buying handmade

2006-02-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

we love etsy. where else can you find so much neat handmade stuff in one place? check it out, you won't be sorry.

hidden gem

2005-12-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

while searching the internet for stores in orange county that carry lamb's pride yarn i came across suzoo's wool works. to my joy i found that they are located right down the street from my office in costa mesa, in a business complex that i used to work in. holy cow! i couldn't believe my luck.
i made the trip the very first chance i had. it's definitely a hidden gem in orange county; it's nestled in the far corner of a very businessy business complex. i felt like an explorer discovering a new world on my first trip.
walking through the front door i didn't expect the wonderfulness that was waiting just around the corner through the next doorway. as i walked in i was blown away, there in front of me was knitter's paradise. shelves of yarn and books, racks of needles and other goodies, a table of friendly ladies working on their projects and chatting. i couldn't take it all in. wow! and all this existed right down the street from me. i was weak in the knees.
suzoo's shop is only open a few days a week, which has turned out to be a very good thing for my wallet. every couple weeks i visit on my lunch break to add yarn to my stash. oftentimes there are ladies sitting around chatting and helping each other with projects. they always ask what i am working on. it makes me feel like i belong to a secret club.
all of this was hidden in a business complex in costa mesa. if you are a yarn fan, get yourself to suzoo's. you will be glad that you did.

-melissa

shrinky dink charms

2005-11-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

yesterday silvia and i met to finish up our shrinky dink candy cane charms. unfortunately, we got too caught up in crafting and chatting to take any photos. this is the only existing photo of the candy cane charms before we sent them off to the sampler. super cute, no?

Candy Cane Fun with Tutorial

2005-11-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

We love The Sampler and for the upcoming Dec/Jan mailer we're sending in candy cane themed crafts. We made these lovely little beaded ornaments along with shrinky dink charms.

These ornaments are old school and reminded us of Grandma's house, so we wanted to share them with all of you. Here is how we made them:

Materials
6mm round beads
cartwheel beads
tri-beads
24-gague wire
needle-nose pliers

1. Cut about 9" of wire.
2. On one end of the wire, make a small loop and slip on one round bead.
3. Add cartwheel or tri-beads in any colors you'd like. We used 22/10mm beads on our ornaments.
4. On end of remaining wire add another round bead and make a small loop to hold beads in place .
5. Shape into a candy cane and add pretty ribbon or string for hanging. Y