Craft Love Blog is Moving!

I decided to move this blog over to Wordpress on my own site on my own server...after converting my website from Flash to Wordpress to help with SEO.

I do hope you'll follow me over!
Thanks so much for reading over the years!

xo
Shanna

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!

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?

Embroidery Wednesday!

I just had to snatch these up from etsy seller teasemade--so cute! And they're my favorite colors, so how could I resist?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/teasemade

Love these, too!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/55069746/bicycle-ring

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57998924/petal-face-ring-blue

And from the seller, ThreeRedApples, check out this awesome find! I need this for my wall, badly...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62655124/gypsies-at-heart-textile-wall-art

Also, I can totally relate to this one:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62788324/i-love-my-bed-wall-art-in-purple

Holiday Crafts

 Two weeks to Christmas!? That's crazy. Where did 2010 go? While we've barely managed to get our tree and lights up, I still hope to make a couple Christmas homemade crafts. 


At the top of my list, these gift tags. We made chocolate orange homebrew beer (yum!!) for gifting this year. Instead of going the label route we did for our wedding brew, I want to make these gift tags, and tie them to the bottles with baking twine!

Holiday Freebie: Typographic Gift Tags » Eat Drink Chic

I always love bunting to cheer up a space - 

DIY: winter fun bunting {download}

I also love these felt crafts, found via  Oh, Hello, Friend 

DIY: felt shingle tree

DecoratingHomemade for the Holidays: Easy Felt Crafts

 

What holiday crafts are you making this year?

Wedding DIY

Here are some of the DIY projects we took on for our recet wedding. I got photographer photos back a few weeks ago and haven't had the chance to share yet. There are even more projects we did than are shown here, regrettably, I didn't get photos of them all!

I custom made the ringbearer pillow with this fantastic papel picado print I found at Vista Latina. The rings attached for show I'd even made in silversmithing class! I also made the boutonnieres, as you can see here, for all of the groomsmen, our ringbearer, and the guy of honor on my side. The coordinating papel picado/Dia de Los Muertos ties are from Cyberoptix.

I also made the flower girl's basket (and hair clip, not pictured here).

With the help of lady pals the morning of the wedding, I made this bouquet. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! We trimmed the flower budget by buying in bulk from Costco online. Which brings us to our centerpieces...

We hand painted mason jars with aqua vitreous paint, then baked them, and added coordinating ribbons.Then just set a colorful, European-style pre-made bouquet into each one.

You can sort of see in the background the card box I made. I found the base at Hobby Lobby and painted it a coordinating aqua. I handlettered "Cards" and added the same papel picado print as above. Also on top...

...were little skulls I handmade from clay. They kind of look a bit like us...

Above are some signs and a chalkboard the groom made for the wedding!

Maybe one day soon I can create some tutorials!

Handmade Weddings :: Etsy Blog

Search: handmade weddings :: Etsy Blog

I love Etsy's new wedding section. So much great stuff for a DIY bride!




How-Tuesday: Create a Luscious Bridal Bouquet

Handmade Weddings: Southern Intimacy

News, a Party, and Favorite Things

Sorry I have been AWOL! Big work deadlines and wedding planning make a girl no fun! I hope to have a bunch of new jewelry of my own by November, in time for EAST, a show at a friend's house, and the holidays. We'll see how that goes. I am also looking into classes to further my jewelry-making education (whether that's a MFA or just classes). In the meantime, my whole line is on display at Lovely Austin and they are having a PARTY on the 31st! I sure will be ready to celebrate that day as my work deadlines will have just passed!

Now for some new Favorite Things...

~

I am a big fan of this metalsmith from NOLA's two shops: Adorn & Conquer! & Ya betta' supa don't!
She uses metal to make jewelry about the issues and things she's passionate about, and I think that's awesome!

Adorn & Conquer is art for the body, jewelry for activists, and adornment with a message:

{SAVE THE GULF sea turtle necklace}

Every sale will donation $5-$10 (depending on piece) to the National Audubon Society, to help with the gulf spill oiled animal cleaning.

I had to buy this one, below, yesterday; can't wait for it to arrive! 

 

I have been so distraught about the situation in the gulf with Kemp's Ridley sea turtles... 

I love a purchase that will help these amazing creatures...

As a long-time SCUBA diver, I have a long-time love of sea turtles, and encountering them in the wild--on two occasions--has been among my luckiest and favorite moments in life. My sweet fiance even has a tattooed sea turtle on his shoulder! (The first time I saw that on our fourth date at Barton Springs, I knew he was a man after my heart. ;))

~

Here are some other awesome finds from her shops:

{SAVE THE GULF heart necklace}

 {We Need Urban Farming}

Ya betta' supa don't! has more of her work, lots of it centering on NOLA themes:

I want this one, too! 

{crab love necklace}

 

 

{Nola Shotgun Necklace}

~

That's all for today. 

Talk soon!

xoxo

Shanna, SoCoDivka Designs

Favorite Things: Yermit

I love their PLUSH AND DRUNK BEARS

 

If stuffed singer songwriters are more your thing, they have those, too!

Also... Zombies!

 {http://www.etsy.com/shop/Yermit}

Is Etsy Old Hat...?

That's a question a lot of us seller have been asking ourselves lately and that comes up in this article today:

Top 10 Reasons You Should Not Sell on Etsy

I myself was very successful in my first several months on etsy, then the sales began to taper off. At the same time, I have found a growing personal interest in boutique consignment and local shows and trunk sales to offest slow etsy performance. Especially when you log on to etsy and see the same handful of sellers getting attention without much new and provocative getting featured and stuff all over the site that is obviously not handmade or vintage.

I think maybe the ship is selling... and it's time to get creative with other ways of marketing your handmade business. What do you think?

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.

Local talent at Lovely Austin!

{Lovely Austin}

New Necklaces and a Valentine's Gift!

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Get $5 OFF ANY NECKLACE when you use the code "Sweetheart" at checkout!
Get FREE SHIPPING when you buy two or more items!
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