Showing posts with label craft party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craft party. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
South Bay Etsy Craft Party and Craft Supply Swap at SJMQT: June 6, 2-4 p.m.
Join the SF Etsy Team for a family-friendly craft party and craft supply swap hosted by our friends at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles!
At this free event, you can meet other local creative folks, de-stash your supplies, and take home new craft making treasures. Just bring along any usable craft supplies that you no longer need, and come "shop" through the supplies that others have donated. And since this is SF Etsy, we'll also have some handmade crafting going on!
Don't forget that while you’re there, you can also take in the current exhibits at the museum. It's truly one of the hidden gems in downtown San Jose. For more info or questions, contact the museum.
We will be accepting a few walk-ins, as space permits, but to reserve your spot be sure to RSVP at the Etsy Craft Party page.
Friday June 6, 2015
2 to 4 p.m.
At the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
520 South First Street
San Jose, CA 95113
Hope to see you there!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, visit Our Team Page about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
craft party,
craft swap,
south bay craft events
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Tuestorial: Sleep Mask
Hello SF Etsy team! And we are back to start 2014 off right. This week’s Tuestorial features a sleep mask to help you get that much needed sleep to feel energized and ready to take on your New Year goals!
![]() |
Beauty sleep materials |
Materials:
- Print sleep mask template here
- Cotton fabric of your choice
- Felt or soft fabric to use for the inside of your mask
- Elastic cord
- Sticky back felt
- Pen
- Sewing pins
- Scissors
- Iron
- Sewing machine (can hand sew as well)
![]() |
I only have eyes…for this awesome fabric! |
![]() |
Step 1:
Decide which template you want to go with (ears or no ears? No wrong decision!) and trace it on the wrong side of your cotton fabric and felt. Cut with your fancy scissors.
![]() |
Warning: pins can be dangerous in your lap |
Step 2:
Put the cut cotton fabric and felt good-side together. Take your elastic cord and measure length (use your head!). Pin both elastic ends in between the two fabric pieces.
![]() |
Sew it…Bernina style! |
Step 3:
Now your mask is ready to be sewn! Sew a quarter inch margin around the mask and be sure to leave an opening to turn it inside out.
![]() |
Make it pretty! |
![]() |
Friendly help |
Step 4:
Turn inside out and press edges with an iron. Now use the lash pattern included on the template to outline the detail on the back of the sticky back felt. Cut and apply. It helps to wear your mask to figure out where your lashes are or ask a kind stranger for help.
![]() |
Shhh…they're sleeping |
Step 5:
Time for a nap! Wear and enjoy. You can also add extra padding around the eye area if you are sensitive to light or lavender for a luxurious sleep experience.
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, visit Our Team Page about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
craft party,
DIY,
how to,
sleep mask,
Tuestorial,
tutorial
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Fourth Annual Etsy Craft Party! June 20 in San Jose!
It's Craft Party time again -- Etsy's Fourth Annual Craft Party will take place on June 20th!
We're beyond excited to be partnering with the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles to put on a South Bay Craft Supply Swap! This year's theme is "Craft for Community," and the event will be a fundraiser for the Community Gallery at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.
Join us from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm on Thursday June 20thto meet other local creative folks, de-stash your supplies, and take home new craft making treasures. While you’re there, you can also take in the current exhibits at the museum!
RSVP required through Eventbrite.
Please note that your Eventbrite ticket is a free RSVP. $5 cover will be collected at the door.
Hope to see you there!
Also note that there will be a San Francisco Etsy Craft Party happening as well -- stay tuned for details on that!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Our Team Captain about joining SFEtsy!
We're beyond excited to be partnering with the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles to put on a South Bay Craft Supply Swap! This year's theme is "Craft for Community," and the event will be a fundraiser for the Community Gallery at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.
Join us from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm on Thursday June 20thto meet other local creative folks, de-stash your supplies, and take home new craft making treasures. While you’re there, you can also take in the current exhibits at the museum!
Promote reuse and recycling in
the crafting community by participating in our Craft Supply Swap: just
search through your stash for any arts and crafts supplies that you no
longer want and bring them to the Craft Party. Items do not need to be
new or unopened! We’ll take any arts-and-crafts related items that are
still in useable condition: fabric, yarn, beads, paper, sewing supplies,
jewelry supplies, art supplies, tools…. If somebody could make
something with it, bring it to donate and let it find a new crafty home!
Don’t forget to bring a bag or box to carry out your new-to-you
crafting goodies.
All this for a $5 cover at the
door! A portion of proceeds will go to funding the San Jose Museum of
Quilts & Textiles Community Gallery.
Please note that your Eventbrite ticket is a free RSVP. $5 cover will be collected at the door.
Hope to see you there!
Also note that there will be a San Francisco Etsy Craft Party happening as well -- stay tuned for details on that!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Our Team Captain about joining SFEtsy!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tuestorial: With Amazepack! Mason Jar Soap Dispensers
![]() |
Welcome to Amazepack HQ! |
I loved it and wanted to learn more from the founder, Kristine Holst. She graciously opened her house to host a craft party for myself and SF Etsy Co-Captain Katy Atchison featuring November's Amazepack. As the following photos will show, we had a great time and I’m excited to share with you what this business is all about!
![]() |
Meet Kristine Holst, founder of Amazepack. Also, she made that painting in the background. Serious crafter here. |
- Two mason jars
- Two soap dispenser lids with pumps
- Three glass paint colors: turquoise, yellow and pink (along with a simple mixing guide)
- Paint thinner
- Paintbrush
- Mixing cup
- Butcher paper
- Bonus: recipe on how to make your own liquid soap to fill dispenser with!
Step 1:
First, check out the tiny dinosaur that comes with your craft supplies. Name it, and enjoy it forever! Then wipe off your mason jar to remove any dust or dirt that may have collected during shipping.
I loved that all details are well thought-out. The kraft paper that wraps your craft supplies? Use it to line your work surface to protect from paint leaks. The containers the paint comes in? After using the paint, wash and reuse. The empty lid container? Use it to mix different colors or mix with paint thinner. Kristine is all about reusing materials and packaging.
Every shipment also includes at least enough materials to make two complete projects. This is a service you can look forward to sharing with your friends each month and could easily turn it into a craft party. Just add wine!
![]() |
Kristine and Katy taking over the table with painting and wine! |
Step 2:
Lay out all your supplies. Pick a color or follow the simple mixing guide to make one you like. Use can use the paint thinner depending on how thick you want the paint. For a bolder color, I started with a background color with no paint thinner. I also used the other end of my paint brush to add dots once my background color was dry (about 15 minutes). Use what’s included in the box or what you have in your craft stash like sponges, masking tape or the simply the texture that is already on the jars (a “quilted” design) to make your design your own.
While letting my paint dry and thinking of my design, I asked Kristine how Amazepack came about. She said she was always interested in crafting, taking classes and learning new skills. Like most people who work and live busy lives, she never got around to making all the craft ideas she had or hunting down all the materials needed to complete them. While looking for a new job, her boyfriend, Ty White, asked her what she would love to be doing, if she could do anything. She knew she wanted to run her own business and crafts would be apart of it. Ty, basically the best boyfriend ever, designed a website for her while Kristine got the business plan together. Hence Amazepack was born, with T-Rex as their main sidekick.
Step 3:
Once your design is done, let your mason jar dry for 24 hours than bake the jar to set the paint (baking also makes it dishwasher safe). Put your jar in a cool oven and set oven to 375 degrees. After 40 minutes, turn the oven off, but leave the jar inside. Once the oven is cool again, remove jar.
![]() |
Pump, pump it real good! |
Step 4:
Attach pump and screw on with lid. Fill with soap and use!
Kristine is excited about the future Amazepack. She researching hosting craft party events using Amazepacks and possibly opening an Etsy store selling their kits or completed projects.
Amazepack loves to share and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (user name: Amazepack) or Pinterest. Kristine loves to see the fun ideas that come out of the Amazepack supplies and it offers inspiration to other Amazepack members too!
Group photo! |
CONTEST TIME!
Interested in Amazepack and want to win November’s craft box? Just follow the two steps below to enter! Contest ends November 6th at midnight (Pacific time) and the winner will be announced November 7th.
#1: Leave a comment here sharing what craft project you have on your “to-do” list, but just haven’t had time to complete.
#2: Like Amazepack on Facebook.
#2: Like Amazepack on Facebook.
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
amazepack,
craft party,
craft supplies,
DIY,
how to,
mason jar,
sf etsy,
sf etsy team,
soap,
soap dispenser,
Tuestorial,
tutorial
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Tuestorials: Fabric Pumpkins
Everyone has their thing, their obsession, their “jam” as I like to say. In terms of crafts, my jam is fabric pumpkins. This (almost) no-sew project gets me in a festive Fall mood and, for the last two years, I’ve hosted craft parties around it to show friends how to make them. My love for them could not be contained within me, it had to be shared. Today, I present my jam and I hope it gets you as excited about Fall as I am!
Materials
Step 1:
For a standard sized pumpkin, take a piece of 10" by 7" fabric and sew the two ends together (do not cut in two separate pieces). It should look like a sleeve when done. In fact, you can use a sleeve of an old sweater or flannel shirt for this project. The possibilities are endless. For a no-sew option, you can glue the two ends together. Wait for glue to dry to proceed to the next step.
Step 2:
Turn fabric inside out and tie a rubber band to one end. Turn fabric right side and the bottom will look like the bottom of a pumpkin (one step closer!). Stuff slowly, careful to not undo the rubber band.
Step 3:
Once your pumpkin has taken shape, take the twine and wrap the top, leaving extra material on top. This will create your pumpkin stem. Tie the “stem” a couple of times (to ensure your pumpkin is closed tightly) and loop around the sides of your pumpkin (circle around stem then down one side, then back up again to the stem). This will help form your pumpkin’s shape and look like the seams of a standard pumpkin. Once you are done with the sides, loop around the extra top fabric several more times to finish the stem. Cut and tie off twine.
Step 4:
Now for the sparkle and shine! Take your small pieces of scrap fabric and add leaves, stem curls, anything festive to your pumpkin! Any type of fabric glue or a hot glue gun will work.
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!
![]() |
When the clock strikes midnight, they will turn into a pumpkin! |
- stuffing (can also use many plastic bags)
- scrap fabric in fall colors and patterns (fabric measurements depending on the size you want your pumpkin. Almost any size well work so use what you got!)
- small scrap fabric, ribbon, glitter, etc. for establishments
- twine or thick string
- scissors
- fabric glue or hot glue gun
- rubber band
![]() |
Any old fabric about to be turned into Fall magic |
For a standard sized pumpkin, take a piece of 10" by 7" fabric and sew the two ends together (do not cut in two separate pieces). It should look like a sleeve when done. In fact, you can use a sleeve of an old sweater or flannel shirt for this project. The possibilities are endless. For a no-sew option, you can glue the two ends together. Wait for glue to dry to proceed to the next step.
![]() |
Inside Out |
![]() |
Right Side or Pumpkin Bottom! |
Turn fabric inside out and tie a rubber band to one end. Turn fabric right side and the bottom will look like the bottom of a pumpkin (one step closer!). Stuff slowly, careful to not undo the rubber band.
![]() |
Stuffed and ready to be tied together! |
Once your pumpkin has taken shape, take the twine and wrap the top, leaving extra material on top. This will create your pumpkin stem. Tie the “stem” a couple of times (to ensure your pumpkin is closed tightly) and loop around the sides of your pumpkin (circle around stem then down one side, then back up again to the stem). This will help form your pumpkin’s shape and look like the seams of a standard pumpkin. Once you are done with the sides, loop around the extra top fabric several more times to finish the stem. Cut and tie off twine.
![]() |
Bling, Bling |
Now for the sparkle and shine! Take your small pieces of scrap fabric and add leaves, stem curls, anything festive to your pumpkin! Any type of fabric glue or a hot glue gun will work.
![]() |
Ready to party until the Holidays! |
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
autumn,
craft party,
DIY,
fabric pumpkins,
fabric scrap,
fall,
halloween,
how to,
pumpkin,
tuestorials,
tutorial
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Crafty Computer Night Tuestorial - Part 2

Last weekend, our team member Imelda of Sunset Shutterbug hosted a Crafty Computer Meet-up at her house. She gratiously wrote a little entry about the event.
"Jumping on the bandwagon of meet-ups, Saturday afternoon a couple fellow SF Etsians and I got together for a crafty computer session at my apartment to work on our shops and get to know each other. Michelle of The Elegant Sparrow, Eko of Eko Jewlery Design, Talia of Mycrob and Korie of Seaglass Reinvented and I fired up our computers (or iPad) and talked shop. We discussed all sorts of things and we walked away with extra tips and advice to help improve shops. Here are some tips that came up during our meet-up.
Re-listing - Korie's shop has been open on Etsy for barely a month and she made 6 sales during that short time! She credits re-listing 3 times a day to keep her shop relevant.
Facebook - Several of us are on Facebook and we use it to help market our shops, new items and other things that may interest our fans.
House Parties - Michelle recently sold her jewelry at 2 parties, one in LA and another in Washington. To her surprise, she sold a number of items at each event! Great way to connect with new customers and expand your clientele. This would be a great idea during the holidays!
Twitter - Can't afford to re-list every day? Use it to promote your items without spending 20 cents. And use those hashtags for Etsy teams your apart of. They can retweet you and help promote you to their followers.
Lightbox - Make one or buy one. I just made mine this weekend and I only spent 99 cents on the poster board.
Tagging - Use Etsy Teams in your tags! If someone finds out about SF Etsy and searches for the team in Etsy, your item will show up in a search if you put the team name in your tags.
Instag.ram, Flickr & Pinterest - Great ways to give your work exposure!
LinkedIn - Great way to professionally network with other sellers, especially if you hold a day time job in addition to running your business.
Etsy Teams and Etsy Forums - Meet and talk with other members! Post in your Etsy Teams and in the Etsy forums. Buyers also read the forums and the more active you are, the more people see your shop. Your customers may be your peers or a buyer who likes to read the forums. You never know where your next customer will come from.
Local Businesses - If you know someone who owns a business, talk to them about setting up a table and sell for a few hours. Especially if they get a fair amount of foot traffic. This would be even better if they're holding a launch party for a new line or product.
Fundraisers & Auctions - If you know of an organization or school that frequently holds auctions or fundraisers, you can donate your item as a way to help get exposure for your shop and also help raise some money for a good cause.
We all had a really fun time and the 3 hours just flew by! I hope we all get to meet each other again and stay connected. It's always fun getting to know other local sellers and geek out on our shops. Here's to more SF Etsy meet-ups!"

Thank you to our team member Imelda of Sunset Shutterbug for a great write up.
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
computer night,
craft party,
Etsy Meet Up,
etsy sellers,
etsy tips,
Tuestorial,
tuestorials
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Crafty Computer Night Tuestorial
With the new year comes new changes to your Etsy shop...refreshes and updates. Especially if you're paying attention to some of the current Etsy Newsletters with hold a whole slew of information on updating your Etsy page for the new year.
It's all a bit overwhelming to me. I mean...I get so lazy during the year that I end up with a mish-mash of products, lack of thought in my tagging and over all a huge mess. I'd like to say it's all because I'm just so busy creating new art all the time that I can't be bothered with my Etsy page... but it's really just laziness and because I'd much rather go to craft events than update my page.
So, I got an idea... why not have the event come to my house? I clearly needed some motivation to get some updates on my Etsy page completed... what better way to do that than to invite some Etsy people over for wine, treats and a computer workshop?
Last week was the first of many (I hope) SFEtsy Computer Craft Nights.
Here are the basic "rules", tips and tricks to a night like this:
- Provide a place to plug in for all of the invitees: Some people won't use the plugs, but some will require it. Plan ahead and don't invite more people than you have outlets.
- Determine the # of Attendees: Be sure to really be clear about the number of people you're able to house in your home. No need to over-pack your space just to allow as many Etsians to come over. And be sure to let others know when you've reached your max capacity... there's always next time. My house is a small Jr. One Bedroom. So I was only able to have up to 6 people. I think it was the perfect size when we had just 4 of us because discussions were more intimate and everyone was able to speak to the group.
- Comfortable Seating: I'm lucky to have a Pottery Barn sofa and two vintage wing-back chairs to have people lounge on...there was plenty of space for all attendees to stretch out and take over a corner of the room.
- Nibbles are Key: Never make someone work without a cookie to munch on. You could do a pot luck if you'd like. I didn't expect my attendees to bring anything...but they did and we had tons of food and a glass of wine for each of us.
- Discussions: Let's learn from each other about the process we use to update our sites. Do you use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for photo re-touching? Do you have any questions on white-balance or color correcting? By the end of the evening we had all also liked one another's Facebook pages as well. Networking AND getting work done - awesome!
- Clean Up is a Breeze: Wow! There was literally ZERO to clean up. Unlike the past craft nights I've had...where I'm left with snip bits of paper, glitter all over, wet paint, dirty brushes and a giant craft mess... this was so easy. Everyone came with a computer, and no one left one behind. As the host, the only thing I had to do was set out some snacks and then pick up the snacks that weren't eaten.
- Introduce Your Kids & Animals: I think it's important to remember that we all are humans with allergies or personal space issues...and very few of us know each other personally. Therefore, if you're a smoker, have kids or you're a pet owner - put that out there in your invite. There's no shame in letting people know what they are getting into before they walk through the door.
We had a great time discussing tagging, best practices, Facebook Marketing strategies and getting to know each other during our meet up at my house. I've noticed that since I sparked the idea through our Google Group, many other people have also chimed in to say they are looking to do something similar. I think this is so great!
Here are some photos I snapped of my event last weekend.
Look! Collaboration and Working together as a team on something! That's Eko and Talia. I had never met Talia before, but I just love her stuff. She's the owner of http://www.etsy.com/shop/mycrobe. With her is Eko... her jewelry is here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ekojewelrydesign. She has such lovely things in her shop.

Here you see Rebecca Saylor and myself....well, my Photoshop screen as I update images for My Etsy...but I swear I'm behind the camera. :-) Rebecca is starting up a new shop. So we talked all about all the wonderful things that she has been creating. She just recently decided to do Etsy almost full-time. We were all ubber excited for her and the new adventure she's on.

Let me know if any of you end up doing another Computer Night and want to feature some of your tips and tricks in the team blog. Have fun Networking!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
It's all a bit overwhelming to me. I mean...I get so lazy during the year that I end up with a mish-mash of products, lack of thought in my tagging and over all a huge mess. I'd like to say it's all because I'm just so busy creating new art all the time that I can't be bothered with my Etsy page... but it's really just laziness and because I'd much rather go to craft events than update my page.
So, I got an idea... why not have the event come to my house? I clearly needed some motivation to get some updates on my Etsy page completed... what better way to do that than to invite some Etsy people over for wine, treats and a computer workshop?
Last week was the first of many (I hope) SFEtsy Computer Craft Nights.
Here are the basic "rules", tips and tricks to a night like this:
- Provide a place to plug in for all of the invitees: Some people won't use the plugs, but some will require it. Plan ahead and don't invite more people than you have outlets.
- Determine the # of Attendees: Be sure to really be clear about the number of people you're able to house in your home. No need to over-pack your space just to allow as many Etsians to come over. And be sure to let others know when you've reached your max capacity... there's always next time. My house is a small Jr. One Bedroom. So I was only able to have up to 6 people. I think it was the perfect size when we had just 4 of us because discussions were more intimate and everyone was able to speak to the group.
- Comfortable Seating: I'm lucky to have a Pottery Barn sofa and two vintage wing-back chairs to have people lounge on...there was plenty of space for all attendees to stretch out and take over a corner of the room.
- Nibbles are Key: Never make someone work without a cookie to munch on. You could do a pot luck if you'd like. I didn't expect my attendees to bring anything...but they did and we had tons of food and a glass of wine for each of us.
- Discussions: Let's learn from each other about the process we use to update our sites. Do you use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for photo re-touching? Do you have any questions on white-balance or color correcting? By the end of the evening we had all also liked one another's Facebook pages as well. Networking AND getting work done - awesome!
- Clean Up is a Breeze: Wow! There was literally ZERO to clean up. Unlike the past craft nights I've had...where I'm left with snip bits of paper, glitter all over, wet paint, dirty brushes and a giant craft mess... this was so easy. Everyone came with a computer, and no one left one behind. As the host, the only thing I had to do was set out some snacks and then pick up the snacks that weren't eaten.
- Introduce Your Kids & Animals: I think it's important to remember that we all are humans with allergies or personal space issues...and very few of us know each other personally. Therefore, if you're a smoker, have kids or you're a pet owner - put that out there in your invite. There's no shame in letting people know what they are getting into before they walk through the door.
We had a great time discussing tagging, best practices, Facebook Marketing strategies and getting to know each other during our meet up at my house. I've noticed that since I sparked the idea through our Google Group, many other people have also chimed in to say they are looking to do something similar. I think this is so great!
Here are some photos I snapped of my event last weekend.
Look! Collaboration and Working together as a team on something! That's Eko and Talia. I had never met Talia before, but I just love her stuff. She's the owner of http://www.etsy.com/shop/mycrobe. With her is Eko... her jewelry is here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ekojewelrydesign. She has such lovely things in her shop.

Here you see Rebecca Saylor and myself....well, my Photoshop screen as I update images for My Etsy...but I swear I'm behind the camera. :-) Rebecca is starting up a new shop. So we talked all about all the wonderful things that she has been creating. She just recently decided to do Etsy almost full-time. We were all ubber excited for her and the new adventure she's on.

Let me know if any of you end up doing another Computer Night and want to feature some of your tips and tricks in the team blog. Have fun Networking!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
computer night,
craft event,
craft party,
etsy,
Tuestorial,
tuestorials
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I Heart Art: SF - Leadership Council Announcement
![]() |
We're excited & still searching for a few more! [Image from SF Etsy Member Sora Designs] |
Thank you all so much for your help getting the word out & attending our recent launch for I Heart Art: SF, the 2011 Etsy Craft Party! It was a ton of fun & was great meeting you all in person!
We got a lot of great feedback about the things people would like to see included with I Heart Art: SF and were thrilled by all the excitement! We figured that it might be a good time to put out the call about our Leadership Council!
Congrats to all our new
Leadership Council Members & Volunteers!
The following people have been accepted to be included in the I Heart Art: SF Leadership Council:
- Genevieve Robertson
- Lisa Anderson Shaffer
- Christie Anderson
- Shelly Kerry
- Stephanie Bolton
- Sara Ballenger
- Katy Atchison
- Shannon Paras
- Jen Johnson as Communications Coordinator for I Heart Art: SF
As a rule for most Leadership Councils in the I Heart Art programs, there are up to 12 members in the Leadership Councils. This is mainly so that we can divide easily into committees of 3-4 people to perform different tasks in event planning, as well as offering a wider range of ideas to brainstorm when coming up with activities within our creative community.
We're very happy to announce that we have 4 more spots open on our Leadership Council & we'd love to hear from you!
If you're interested in being part of the I Heart Art: SF Leadership Council, please fill out this form by Friday, July 1st, 2011.Our Co-Chairs will be taking time to review the applications & will get back to you all with our newly-formed Leadership Council soon thereafter!
Would you like to help out & support I Heart Art: SF in another way? We're always looking for volunteers! We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your ideas &/or sign up for our newsletter to get started!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Making Friends at The Esty Craft Party
I'm happy to be back and writing this post as a married woman. I'm still getting used to using the word husband and I can't say that my day to day life really feels any different, but there is this new sense of future and possibility now, similar to what I feel on New Year's Day.
I'm still playing catch up so today's words will be brief, but hopefully none the less inspiring.
As you are almost certainly aware there's a big party happening tomorrow. A lot of crafty folk will be gathering to celebrate craft, share skills, and make new friends. I wanted to remind you of what a valuable opportunity this is for you, community is one of the key elements to any successful endeavor, business or otherwise.
I've talked about networking before and how it doesn't have to creepy and schmoozy. I've also talked about finding like minded folk to gather around you and support you on your journey. Who knows what you all can accomplish together. The Etsy Craft Party is a great place to meet them.
I want to encourage you to do three things tomorrow or at any event you have coming up.
And just to make one of those steps easier I'll be at the welcome table from 6-7 pm. Come introduce yourself to me and you can cross number two off your list.
I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
I'm still playing catch up so today's words will be brief, but hopefully none the less inspiring.
As you are almost certainly aware there's a big party happening tomorrow. A lot of crafty folk will be gathering to celebrate craft, share skills, and make new friends. I wanted to remind you of what a valuable opportunity this is for you, community is one of the key elements to any successful endeavor, business or otherwise.
I've talked about networking before and how it doesn't have to creepy and schmoozy. I've also talked about finding like minded folk to gather around you and support you on your journey. Who knows what you all can accomplish together. The Etsy Craft Party is a great place to meet them.
I want to encourage you to do three things tomorrow or at any event you have coming up.
- Say hi to everyone you see who you've cross paths with before. A simple smile and hello is all you need, but a short conversation about what you're both up to never hurts.
- Make a point to meet one person who you know through Facebook, Twitter or the blogosphere that you've never met in real life. Tell them you're going to be at the Craft Party and make an effort to find them.
- Meet someone totally outside of your circle. This means making a new friend. You'd be surprised how easy conversation with strangers will flow over a craft table. Make sure to get their email address or Twitter name and follow up with a simple "Nice to meet you!"
And just to make one of those steps easier I'll be at the welcome table from 6-7 pm. Come introduce yourself to me and you can cross number two off your list.
I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tuestorial: Group Painting Project
So I've been trying to think of an interactive Group Craft Project that could be fun for a group of friends to do together at a Craft Night as an Ice Breaker...
I guess I'm mentally preparing myself for this weekend's awesome Etsy Party!
Last night I tried out one of my ideas with a group of friends at my house.
THE PROJECT:
Pass The Painting
THE GOAL:
Break the Ice, have fun, giggle and take home a treat!
THE CREW! Some Artistic and Wonderfully fun people...
You'll want more than one person...preferably 4 or more for best results.
Allie Felton (Organizer)
Katy Atchison (Hostess)
Allie Zee
Angela Holmes
Also my friend Stu and his girlfriend came...which made a nice sized group of six people.
A spin off the Drawing Game, Pass the Garbage...this is pretty much exactly the same as that but more challenging because you have to have a basic understanding of how to paint or draw on a canvas.
Materials Needed:
Canvases (I bought a 10-pack of pre-stretched canvases at Aaron Brothers for $21), Acrylic Paint (because it's fast drying), Sharpies & Markers for detailing if you want...timer, water for cleaning, and various brushes.
STEP ONE:
Hand each participant a Blank Canvas...
On the back of the canvas...have them write one sentence that describes the painting.
Be Imaginative! The crazier your sentence is...the more creative your other players get to be.
My Sentence: "Don't judge a rainy day by the unicorns eating ice cream in a sailboat by the bay."

STEP TWO:
Pass the Painting to your left!
Without revealing your sentence to the group...pass the painting to the first artist.
It's fun for the artists to get to read your sentence as they receive the painting.

STEP THREE:
Each artist has 5 minutes with the canvas at a time.
Set the timer the minute people start to paint on the canvases.
You can increase or decrease the amount of time that you give each person...but please note that every person around the table will get 5-10 minutes with your canvas and you'll need to also have a bit of drying time at the end. Therefore, in this case...since there were 6 people who were part of this Painting Party, we were painting for 45 min. to an hour.
STEP FOUR:
Paint! Taking inspiration from the sentence on the back...paint on the canvas in front of you... Try to leave some room for other participants...but get creative...and QUICK! part of the fun is that you don't have a lot of time to think about what you're going to be painting.
Plus, if you're not a skilled painter...you're welcome to just doodle a little flower in the ground or paint some background color in during your 5 minute turn. Also remember that the painting you're working on isn't going to end up being yours...so don't be afraid!
STEP FIVE:
Be sure to let your paintings dry before your friends leave your house....or ask them to be careful while traveling home. What's fun about this game is that everyone takes home a memory of the evening.
STEP SIX:
Present your work to the group.
At the end... stand up and read your original sentence to the group....showing your masterpiece to everyone at the same time.
Here are some of what we did!






ADVANTAGES TO THIS STYLE OF GROUP CRAFT:
No directions... allowing people the freedom to go crazy with no directions to follow also allows you to really get to know the artists around you.
DIS-ADVANTAGES TO THIS STYLE OF GROUP CRAFT:
you need to have the space and the time to do it. A bit messy as well...but I didn't mind using my large craft table for it. Also...it takes a lot of letting go and allowing yourself to not get hung up in the end result. Personally, I like the surprise of it all. Some artists also don't like the pressure of having to work on something for 5-10 minutes...but others really like that type of challenge.
Here's the aftermath of the project: (can you tell we really got into it?)

Have any of you done something similar? What are you most looking forward to this weekend?
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
I guess I'm mentally preparing myself for this weekend's awesome Etsy Party!
Last night I tried out one of my ideas with a group of friends at my house.
THE PROJECT:
Pass The Painting
THE GOAL:
Break the Ice, have fun, giggle and take home a treat!
THE CREW! Some Artistic and Wonderfully fun people...
You'll want more than one person...preferably 4 or more for best results.
Allie Felton (Organizer)
Katy Atchison (Hostess)
Allie Zee
Angela Holmes
Also my friend Stu and his girlfriend came...which made a nice sized group of six people.
A spin off the Drawing Game, Pass the Garbage...this is pretty much exactly the same as that but more challenging because you have to have a basic understanding of how to paint or draw on a canvas.
Materials Needed:
Canvases (I bought a 10-pack of pre-stretched canvases at Aaron Brothers for $21), Acrylic Paint (because it's fast drying), Sharpies & Markers for detailing if you want...timer, water for cleaning, and various brushes.
STEP ONE:
Hand each participant a Blank Canvas...
On the back of the canvas...have them write one sentence that describes the painting.
Be Imaginative! The crazier your sentence is...the more creative your other players get to be.
My Sentence: "Don't judge a rainy day by the unicorns eating ice cream in a sailboat by the bay."
STEP TWO:
Pass the Painting to your left!
Without revealing your sentence to the group...pass the painting to the first artist.
It's fun for the artists to get to read your sentence as they receive the painting.

STEP THREE:
Each artist has 5 minutes with the canvas at a time.
Set the timer the minute people start to paint on the canvases.
You can increase or decrease the amount of time that you give each person...but please note that every person around the table will get 5-10 minutes with your canvas and you'll need to also have a bit of drying time at the end. Therefore, in this case...since there were 6 people who were part of this Painting Party, we were painting for 45 min. to an hour.
STEP FOUR:
Paint! Taking inspiration from the sentence on the back...paint on the canvas in front of you... Try to leave some room for other participants...but get creative...and QUICK! part of the fun is that you don't have a lot of time to think about what you're going to be painting.

Plus, if you're not a skilled painter...you're welcome to just doodle a little flower in the ground or paint some background color in during your 5 minute turn. Also remember that the painting you're working on isn't going to end up being yours...so don't be afraid!
STEP FIVE:
Be sure to let your paintings dry before your friends leave your house....or ask them to be careful while traveling home. What's fun about this game is that everyone takes home a memory of the evening.
STEP SIX:
Present your work to the group.
At the end... stand up and read your original sentence to the group....showing your masterpiece to everyone at the same time.
Here are some of what we did!






ADVANTAGES TO THIS STYLE OF GROUP CRAFT:
No directions... allowing people the freedom to go crazy with no directions to follow also allows you to really get to know the artists around you.
DIS-ADVANTAGES TO THIS STYLE OF GROUP CRAFT:
you need to have the space and the time to do it. A bit messy as well...but I didn't mind using my large craft table for it. Also...it takes a lot of letting go and allowing yourself to not get hung up in the end result. Personally, I like the surprise of it all. Some artists also don't like the pressure of having to work on something for 5-10 minutes...but others really like that type of challenge.
Here's the aftermath of the project: (can you tell we really got into it?)

Have any of you done something similar? What are you most looking forward to this weekend?
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
craft event,
craft party,
fun,
get your paint on,
painting,
party,
Tuestorial
Friday, June 3, 2011
Craft Party At TechShop in ONE WEEK!
The count down is on -- Etsy's international CRAFT PARTY is one week from today, and the San Francisco version will be held at the awesome TechShop!

We are thrilled that TechShop has agreed to host! Their space is amazing, and the location is ideal. New to TechShop? Here's how they describe their place:
"TechShop is designed for everyone, regardless of their skill level. TechShop is perfect for inventors, makers, hackers, tinkerers, artists, roboteers, families, entrepreneurs, youth groups, FIRST robotic teams, arts and crafts enthusiasts, and anyone else who wants to be able to make things that they dream up but don't have the tools, space or skills. TechShop provides you with access to a wide variety of machinery and tools including milling machines and lathes, welding stations and a CNC plasma cutter, sheet metal working equipment, drill presses and band saws, industrial sewing machines, hand tools, plastic and wood working equipment including a 4' x 8' ShopBot CNC router, electronics design and fabrication facilities, Epilog laser cutters, tubing and metal bending machines, a Dimension SST 3-D printer, electrical supplies and tools, and pretty much everything you'd ever need to make just about anything."
The San Francisco Etsy Craft Party is the perfect, FREE opportunity to check out this amazing place! Plus you get to meet some of the Bay Area's most awesome creative folks. Hosted by I Heart Art: SF and the SF Etsy team, Craft Party's celebration of all things crafty and creative is open to the public.
In addition to craft workshops by GoGo Craft, DIY button making, Stitch & Bitch, and more -- we'll hosting a bake sale fundraiser to help Kelly Malone of Workshop SF and Indie Mart who is battling cancer.
Crafts! Community! Cookies! Doesn't get much better than that!
WHEN: June 10th from 5-9 p.m.
WHERE: TechShop San Francisco (926 Howard Street)
WHO: You!
Many of you have already RSVP'd -- thanks! We look forward to seeing you there.
One last thing: we are still looking for volunteers to help out with a few things, like door greeters, the bake sale, photography, and the clean up crew. If you'd like to help out, email me and I'll put you on the volunteer list!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

We are thrilled that TechShop has agreed to host! Their space is amazing, and the location is ideal. New to TechShop? Here's how they describe their place:
"TechShop is designed for everyone, regardless of their skill level. TechShop is perfect for inventors, makers, hackers, tinkerers, artists, roboteers, families, entrepreneurs, youth groups, FIRST robotic teams, arts and crafts enthusiasts, and anyone else who wants to be able to make things that they dream up but don't have the tools, space or skills. TechShop provides you with access to a wide variety of machinery and tools including milling machines and lathes, welding stations and a CNC plasma cutter, sheet metal working equipment, drill presses and band saws, industrial sewing machines, hand tools, plastic and wood working equipment including a 4' x 8' ShopBot CNC router, electronics design and fabrication facilities, Epilog laser cutters, tubing and metal bending machines, a Dimension SST 3-D printer, electrical supplies and tools, and pretty much everything you'd ever need to make just about anything."
The San Francisco Etsy Craft Party is the perfect, FREE opportunity to check out this amazing place! Plus you get to meet some of the Bay Area's most awesome creative folks. Hosted by I Heart Art: SF and the SF Etsy team, Craft Party's celebration of all things crafty and creative is open to the public.
In addition to craft workshops by GoGo Craft, DIY button making, Stitch & Bitch, and more -- we'll hosting a bake sale fundraiser to help Kelly Malone of Workshop SF and Indie Mart who is battling cancer.
Crafts! Community! Cookies! Doesn't get much better than that!
WHEN: June 10th from 5-9 p.m.
WHERE: TechShop San Francisco (926 Howard Street)
WHO: You!
Many of you have already RSVP'd -- thanks! We look forward to seeing you there.
One last thing: we are still looking for volunteers to help out with a few things, like door greeters, the bake sale, photography, and the clean up crew. If you'd like to help out, email me and I'll put you on the volunteer list!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Craft Party is Coming Soon! RSVP and How To Help
Hey there, Crafty Peeps!
It’s TWO WEEKS until CRAFT PARTY – have you RSVP’d yet?
You didn’t even KNOW about CRAFT PARTY? Well, you’re invited, and trust me, you want to be there!

WHAT? Craft Party is Etsy’s annual worldwide shindig in celebration of all things crafty and creative. This year, Craft Party in our neck of the woods is going to be an awesome SF Etsy event and also the kick-off for I Heart Art: San Francisco! We’ll have craft workshops with Go-Go Craft! Refreshments! BYOK or C (that’s Bring Your Own Knitting or Crochet) for a stitch & bitch circle! And MORE!
WHEN? June 10th in the evening (5 or 6 pm to 9 or 10 pm, TBD)
WHERE? Well, we’ve been holding off on making a huge deal about it because we’ve been wanting to finalize the venue before going to y’all with The Big Announcement. We are now this close to settling things (making our last decision between two very good venues and lining up details like the exact time before we finalize) but rest assured that for either venue, it will be a good spot in SOMA close to BART in San Francisco, with lots of room to get down with our crafty selves! We will let you know where for sure as soon as we’ve decided.
But wherever, it will be great. We would LOVE to see you there!
We would also LOVE to line up volunteers to be sure this event is every bit as awesome as it could be.
We’re looking for folks to help with:
Set up (an hour or so before the party, so 4 or 5 pm start)
Bake sale to support Kelly Malone of Workshop SF – this local crafting legend is battling cancer, and we’ll be doing some fundraising to help with her medical costs. We need folks for doing the actual baking to donate, someone to organize the donations/volunteers, and staff for the bake sale table
Refreshments – we have some budget for this and would also be interested in having people solicit donated refreshments. We’ll share details with the volunteers!
Decorating – we have some awesome ideas (ruffled paper streamers tutorial, anyone?) and welcome others!
Welcome -- we need door greeters for hour shifts, or half hour if there’s enough interest
Crowd control -- helping with movement btw craft stations
Craft station assistants, including stitch & bitch circle facilitator
Clean up (9 or 10 pm start until done, probably an hour)
It’s gonna be a great party, but we can’t do it without YOU!
Don’t forget to RSVP.
Wanna see something fun? Check out Etsy’s charming CRAFT PARTY video!
And please let me know if you’d like to volunteer to help out with this event! You can leave a comment or convo me through my Etsy shop. Be sure to let me know what you want to do!
Hope to see ya there!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
It’s TWO WEEKS until CRAFT PARTY – have you RSVP’d yet?
You didn’t even KNOW about CRAFT PARTY? Well, you’re invited, and trust me, you want to be there!

WHAT? Craft Party is Etsy’s annual worldwide shindig in celebration of all things crafty and creative. This year, Craft Party in our neck of the woods is going to be an awesome SF Etsy event and also the kick-off for I Heart Art: San Francisco! We’ll have craft workshops with Go-Go Craft! Refreshments! BYOK or C (that’s Bring Your Own Knitting or Crochet) for a stitch & bitch circle! And MORE!
WHEN? June 10th in the evening (5 or 6 pm to 9 or 10 pm, TBD)
WHERE? Well, we’ve been holding off on making a huge deal about it because we’ve been wanting to finalize the venue before going to y’all with The Big Announcement. We are now this close to settling things (making our last decision between two very good venues and lining up details like the exact time before we finalize) but rest assured that for either venue, it will be a good spot in SOMA close to BART in San Francisco, with lots of room to get down with our crafty selves! We will let you know where for sure as soon as we’ve decided.
But wherever, it will be great. We would LOVE to see you there!
We would also LOVE to line up volunteers to be sure this event is every bit as awesome as it could be.
We’re looking for folks to help with:
Set up (an hour or so before the party, so 4 or 5 pm start)
Bake sale to support Kelly Malone of Workshop SF – this local crafting legend is battling cancer, and we’ll be doing some fundraising to help with her medical costs. We need folks for doing the actual baking to donate, someone to organize the donations/volunteers, and staff for the bake sale table
Refreshments – we have some budget for this and would also be interested in having people solicit donated refreshments. We’ll share details with the volunteers!
Decorating – we have some awesome ideas (ruffled paper streamers tutorial, anyone?) and welcome others!
Welcome -- we need door greeters for hour shifts, or half hour if there’s enough interest
Crowd control -- helping with movement btw craft stations
Craft station assistants, including stitch & bitch circle facilitator
Clean up (9 or 10 pm start until done, probably an hour)
It’s gonna be a great party, but we can’t do it without YOU!
Don’t forget to RSVP.
Wanna see something fun? Check out Etsy’s charming CRAFT PARTY video!
And please let me know if you’d like to volunteer to help out with this event! You can leave a comment or convo me through my Etsy shop. Be sure to let me know what you want to do!
Hope to see ya there!
If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!
Labels:
craft event,
craft party,
I Heart Art San Francisco,
sf etsy
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