Pinterest & DIY

Are any of you as obsessed with Pinterest as I am?

I am loving the fact, I can save DIY tutorials and inspiration for later, and it's perfect for me since I am a very visually minded person. I've started inspiration boards for DIY & crafts, for inspiration for custom wedding party jewelry designs, inspired weddings for my Nostalgia Film blog, photography, things I covet, other random design & inspiration, and more (food, travel, etc.). Here are some of my favorite DIY projects I am saving for a rainy day (though it may be a while since there's a major drought in Texas!):

Also, unrelated, The Frisky (a site I love and freelanced for) is having Get a Hobby Week and asking: Readers, Tell Us About Your Hobbies!

What's New at SoCoDivka Designs

This Saturday 7/9

I will be donating a $40 gift certificate to my etsy shop at The Lonely Ladies' Planned Parenthood Benefit. Come out for a chance to win that or a ton of other raffle items including things from: End of an Ear, Eastside Yoga, Cinema East, Eastside Cafe, Method Hair, Alamo Drafthouse, East Side Show Room, and a ton more! Featruring The Lonely Ladies DJs, Yellow Fever, Rebecca Havemeyer, Agent Ribbons, and a huge vintage trunk show featuring my friend Donna Barton of Slinky Whistle Bait and more!

Starts at 7pm & it's free! 


New Designs

I will be working on a slew of new things this weekend for the site and for Lovely Austin. If you're local, stop by Lovely Austin: they have many pairs of my rose stud earrings for just $10 and new brass bobby pin sets for just $12. Both make great gifts!

I also have some special new items up in the shop that are particularly dear to me--a one-of-a-kind necklace made with an estate brooch that would be perfect for a bridal look, and a very long locket, that has the perfect combination of brass components and pearls...

etsy.com

etsy.com

Other News

I recently participated in a wedding show for my other business with my husband, Nostalgia Film. I went about preparing for a wedding show, much like a craft show and sewed a custom table runner and three sets of bunting to match our business colors, which inspired me to add custom bunting back to my etsy shop!

My handsome husband

me

So, drop me a line below, and let me know what's new? What have you been making? What events are you going to?

Happy weekend,

Shanna
xo

Valentine's DIY

There's a great post today over at oh, hello friend: you are loved that's full of Valentine's DIY projects: diy with Brittni. This adorable heart makes me want to learn to crochet!

Valentine's Day :: Crocheted hearts tutorial

 Plus Martha Stewart's site has a big section on "How to Charm Your Valentine." Check out the Heart-Shaped Soap

 and Crayon Hearts projects.

 

 A few other of Martha's craft ideas I love:

Good Thing: Heart-Felted Scarf

Valentine Flowers

Knot Bracelet

 

 

And this one has to be my favorite... I have always wanted to learn how to do this... Luckily it has a video, so maybe there is hope for me!

Papercut Hearts

If you love craft tutorials, also check out Totally Tutorials, which I just discovered. I love this Valentine Bath Salts tutorial from Shrimp Salad Circus.

how to-sday . valentine bath salts

And I totally want to make these... Yum.

strawberry pink champagne cupcake recipe

And last but not least, over at Craft Gossip, check out Nine Valentine's craft tutorials.

All these crafts make me think of the childlike joy that comes with making Valentines at Valentine's Day.
What do you think? Do you want to try any of these or any other crafts for your loved ones?

Loteria Confetti!

I just got an idea for table confetti for our wedding, and maybe you can use this idea for something festive, too! I wanted to write it down before I forget it, because my mind is going a million miles a minute lately.

I bought some pre-cut paper flower confetti in aqua at Michael's for something dumb, like $4 or $5 bucks for a little jar. I was daydreaming of the other things I could make confetti with (going with our schizo vintage/Mexican fiesta/dia de los muertos/papel picado themes) and thought about the random stack of Loteria cards I found in our closet the other night (which you can find in your town or on the internet... I just happen to be a hopeless packrat). Plus, I saw some awesome cut-out stamps at Michael's that I bet could make confetti even more fun!

I will post when I make them and have pics to share. I have a busy weekend of crafting coming up - new vintage Lucite studs to take to Lovely, Austin, painting ball jars aqua blue for centerpieces, and making confetti!

{vista latina}

While I was looking for the graphic above, I also found this AMAZING fabric.... Guess who's ordering some for table runners... or hell, the ring-bearer pillow I keep putting off making! :)

{vista latina}

xo,
Shanna

Hey Austin Crafters! Check out Crafting Comfort

Crafting Comfort is a network of volunteers in the Central Texas area. Volunteers contribute thousands of hours each year making handcrafted items designed to provide comfort.

 

Volunteers come from all walks of life, young and old, sewing enthusiasts, knitters, crocheters, scrap bookers and many other varied interests. Their common goal is to provide comfort to those in need. Our volunteers understand how a warm quilt or a handcrafted toy can provide security in stressful situations. Handcrafts made with love and concern for the recipient provide their own healing power.

Here are current projects at the Charity Craft Center:

• Medical Play Dolls - need 70 a month
• Receiving blankets - need 50 per month
• Kids surgical caps - need 20 per month
• Breast Cancer Heart Pillows - need 20 per month
• Breast Cancer Eye Sachets - need 30 per month
• Breast Cancer Camisoles - need 20 per month

 This sounds like an awesome way to use your craftiness for a good cause!

March is National Craft Month!

Did you know that crafting can reduce stress, build self-esteem and increase physical dexterity? In fact, recent studies from NYU and Harvard have shown that activities ranging from scrapbooking to knitting can actually improve concentration, while enhancing health and mental wellness.

With interest from younger crafters, advances in technology, and riding the immense popularity of do-it-yourself web and TV programming, craft ideas and innovations are being spread across the globe to all four corners of the planet. Crafting has successfully survived another U.S. recession enjoying what some are calling a "crafting renaissance." According to the Craft & Hobby Association over 56% of all U.S. households are crafting in one form or another creating a $27 BILLION U.S. craft and hobby industry!

What are you currently crafting and how do you plan to celebrate?

National Craft Month at Craftster

How to Celebrate National Craft Month from eHow

More information from the Craft & Hobby Association

Celebrate National Craft Month from Craftplace

National Craft Month Supplies at Overstock

Wondercraft Grand Opening... Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Wondercraft Grand Opening. It was a blast! I got to meet some awesome crafty ladies (and gents) and see some of my favorite faces! It really makes me want to do more shows in the future (this was only my second one), and I learned a lot (about how to secure displays in the wind... always having tape and rocks and lights on hand...how to set up credit card processing, and more). Thanks to the ladies of the Wondercraft for the opportunity, too.

Three fer Wednesday: Three very helpful craft marketing blogs

1. biz ladies 09: the 30-second elevator pitch @DesignSponge 
2. Terrific Tuesdays - My Etsy Journey: Marketing My Shop (part 2) @Purple Lemon Designs
3.  The second link came courtesy of Handmade Success, a helpful etsy seller blog
   

Aspiring Etsy Sellers Marketing Tips

Those getting started, just like me, I recommend you check these out:

Let's Ets

Increase Your Etsy traffic

Custom Hair Pieces

I've made a couple of custom hairpieces lately. Contact me on etsy, and I can make you one: to match an outfit, a bridesmaid dress, or your personality!

Loving this Craft Swap: Materials for Tutorials

Over on Indie Finds on Etsy, I found this: an exchange program that lets crafters have free supplies in exchange for a producing a tutorial. Very cool.

South Austin Bohemia

I'm the girl behind SoCoDivka Designs on etsy. I also have a site at www.socodivkadesigns.com (as well as Facebook and Twitter, too).

I craft jewelry from vintage and vintage-style Lucite and acrylic flowers and beads inspired by a love of mid-century style and Bohemia. (I'm half Czech--it's in my blood!) I also create flowered & feathered hair accessories ... inspired by flappers, burlesque dancers, and pin-up girls of the past. I'm beginning to take custom orders, too. (Also, I take custom mosaic work, but that will be another blog!) And I will also list neat vintage finds I come across from time to time--like those cowboys boots I found to die for, three sizes too small!

I'd love to share with you my various finds and discoveries along this crafty journey.