Best Blogger Craft 2016 Announcement

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Best Blogger Crafts 2016

Every year, we here at Prime Publishing LLC and FaveCrafts.com throw a blogger party at the CHA Mega Show. This event is open exclusively to bloggers in the industry and allows the best of the best to mingle with some of their favorite companies, allowing them to make crafting connections that can last for a very long time! To celebrate, we host the Best Blogger Craft Contest every year where bloggers who attended then create prizes from the samples they receive from the companies! After this, we vote on these stunning projects.

This contest ended April 6, 2016. So, we’re here to present the winners!

Without further ado, our Best Blogger Contest Winners for 2016!

First PlaceThe Powertex and Foil Ballerina

The Powertex and Foil Ballerina from Roberta Birnbaum

Second Place

Shabby Chic DIY Scrapbook

Shabby Chic DIY Scrapbook from Cathy Parlitsis

Third Place

Life-and-Live-DIY-Canvas_2_Large500_ID-1579732

Life and Live DIY Canvas from Irit Shalom

Check out the rest of our entries in our list of the Best Blogger Crafts 2016 and stay tuned for an eBook featuring all of these stunning new craft project ideas.

Special thanks to our 2016 Sponsors:

  1. Yarnspirations 2. Plaid 3. Sizzix 4. Simplicity Creative Group 5. Leisure Arts 6. Sakura 7. Premier Yarns 6. FloraCraft 7. Fairfield World 8. Design Master 9. Testors 10. Create and Craft 10. Therm O Web 11. Beadalon 12. Snap

12 Easy DIY Projects That Will Restore Your Faith in Crafting

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12 Easy DIY Projects free eBookI’ve been in a bit of a Pinterest slump lately. I’ll find a project I like while scrolling through pins only to realize that I either 1.) Can’t find the actual tutorial. 2.) Don’t have the necessary tools or supplies on hand or 3.) I’m simply not skilled in that XYZ area of crafting.

It’s been quite frustrating to go from being inspired to being completely bummed about the idea of crafting.

That’s why I’m so glad that our new free eBook is called 12 Easy DIY Projects. And rightly so. Covering almost every area of crafting, these free tutorials are all in one place and all quite easy to do. That’s the beauty of it!

Featuring projects from Clover, Fairfield, FloraCraft, I Love to Create, Little B, Plaid, Prima Bead, Simplicity, Spinrite, Sizzix, Stencil1, and STYROFOAM™, you’ll find that crafting doesn’t need to be complicated or confusing to produce amazing results. There is something for everyone in this free eBook and we hope you invite your best crafting buddies over to try out these projects together!

Oh, and I almost forgot! With this free eBook this month, we are offering giveaways each day from the sponsors above! How awesome is that?!

Ready for the best surprise announcement ever? This, ALL of this, could be yours!

Aren’t our sponsors the greatest!? Be sure to enter for your chance to win! The deadline to enter is February 28, 2015 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern time.

What is your favorite thing about crafting?

Craft Inspiration: Latest Trends in Sewing and Fabric from CHA 2014

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AllFreeSewing was thrilled to explore the Craft and Hobby Association Show in Anaheim this year. With all of the new products, amazing bloggers, and eye-catching displays set up it was more than a little difficult to keep our focus. Regardless of our enthusiasm we still managed to get the scoop on what the latest trends are for sewing and fabric.

Simplicity Felting

So, what’s on the radar for all things crafty? We saw a lot of attention this year towards time-saving products and fine materials. Color will also have a huge presence in your 2014 projects, so get ready for something fabulous. Products from Simplicity, Green Sneakers, Crystal Ninja, Camelot Fabrics, and more reminded us that new crafting techniques are always available.

Ribbon Reigns

Ribbons are all the rage this year. At the May Arts Ribbon booth tons of ribbons flaunted various colors and designs. Of course these notions can be used on any kind of craft, but as hems and embellishments they’re perfect.

May Arts Ribbon

May Arts Ribbon Dress

We even came across The Ribbon Print Company’s amazing custom printing machine. With this innovation you can print your own personal ribbons for your business or personal crafts. The software allows for printing more than just letters.

The Ribbon Print Company

Color Statements

In Plushi

AllFreeSewing editors noticed no shortage of color at CHA. Starting with the 100% wool fruits and veggies at the Barefoot Fibers stand, we saw bursts of color everywhere.

Barefoot Fibers Fruit

Therm-O-Web provided astounding shocks of color in their designer displays. Whether in the form of an owl or plush sewing machine, color was everywhere you looked.

Therm-O-Web Owl

 

Clothing That Counts

If you’re going to put the time into sewing your own wardrobe, make sure the fabric matches your efforts. Bright and bold looks kept catching our attention. These projects weren’t just for the kids. Besides Barefoot Fabric’s cute coats and The McCall Company’s darling dresses, we saw color creeping into adultware too.

Barefoot Fibers Coats
McCalls Kids

The McCall Pattern Company wowed us with their designs. As a giant in the sewing community we knew they’d have fabulous finds, but our jaws dropped when this Vogue Badgley Mischka glittered under the CHA lights. If you’re on the lookout for patterns that can handle bolds, go for classic designs that will flatter your figure.

 Vogue Badgley MischkaMcCalls Jacket and Skirt

 

Innovation Without the Headache

Seriously one of the coolest innovations at CHA was Ann Butler’s line of stamps. If you don’t have the time or money to devote to an entire quilt, you can simply stamp your art to give the effect of a quilt! After it’s pressed this ink doesn’t wash away!

Ann Butler Stamped Quilt
Ann Butler Stamped Pillow

What has the sewing and paper crafters excited is Brother’s new Scan n’ Cut machine. Instead of struggling with fussy cutting you can indulge in your favorite shapes and delicate letters without picking up a pair of scissors or a razor blade.

Brohter Scan N Cut

 At Clover we fawned over this new Iron Safe. The materials for your projects can now be protected with this simple guard.

Clover Iron Safe

We had so much fun exploring everything new to the crafting community. A BIG thanks to all of the lovely companies and bloggers for their time during the show. We’re already counting down for next year!

 The McCall Pattern Company

Camelot Chalkboard Fabric

 

Cre8ting Time for Creativity

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We are lucky here at FaveCrafts to work in an environment that allows us to be inspired by beautiful things on a daily basis. With Pinterest growing bigger and bigger, it’s become even easier for all of us to be inspired by beautiful images from all around the web. The problem comes in finding the time to take all that inspiration and turn it into something beautiful! With working full time, taking care of the house, and spending time with family it can be difficult to find the time for anything else. The Craft and Hobby Association understands this and they want to change it! That’s why they started the Cre8time movement, to encourage all of us crafty people to make that hour or even just half hour a day where we can make the most of our creativity.

Cre8time teamed up with Michaels and reached out to some creative bloggers to challenge them to set aside 1 hour a day (yes, 1 whole hour) and use it to make something creative. Michaels even offered a gift card to get us started so I took that challenge.

Cre8time MovementSo off to Michaels I went to pick up supplies for my 8 days of crafting – and oh did I ever stock up (really, who goes to Michaels and ever comes out with only what you intended to buy?). The receipt looks crazy, but really I bought a lot of little items to make some small projects, because I really wanted to complete a few projects in my one hour a day.

I only ended up finishing a couple projects and starting another. Or rather, I actually finished a couple projects and started another! At first I thought “One hour a day for eight days? Piece of cake.” But it actually did turn out to be kind of a challenge to always fit in one hour a day. Especially since some days are much busier than others. I have to admit to you guys (don’t tell anyone) I cheated a little. There were a couple days where an hour was just impossible. I did try to make up the time by crafting longer on other days and in the end I got a little jewelry making done and I started on that knit sweater I’ve always wanted to make!

Jewelry Making

Knitting

It was an interesting and completely rewarding challenge to actually make time to be creative. I’m going to take a real stab at keeping it up. Maybe not an hour every day, because trying to track that became a little stressful, but at least a little bit every day. Knitting before bed, a bracelet after dinner, or even just some doodling while watching T.V. – who knows how much my creativity could grow with these actions!

Tell us: How do you make time for creativity in your every day life?

2013 CHA Trend Report: Spring Fever!

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As you all already know, Team FaveCrafts got the opportunity to attend the Craft and Hobby Association show last week and it was a blast! We already told you about all the sports theme new craft products coming out, but there were so many trends to report on from the show that we had to make it two posts.

Spring Tbale Setting

Do you have spring fever yet? We definitely do after our time at CHA! Cute shapes of chicks and bunnies could be found everywhere like in the photo above of an adorable spring table setting at the Fiskars booth. All the cute paper cut outs were made with the Fiskars fuse. You can see the other cute cards, tags, and flowers made below in colors perfect for Valentine’s Day or spring projects!

Pastel Decor

Pastel Decor

More than anything the color palettes were so perfect for spring everywhere you went! Pretty pastels and muted vintage colors were in most scrap book page layouts and in new yarns. Just look at all these pretty layouts, die cuts, and embossing folders from Lifestyle crafts! The folders has fun prints like hedgehogs and squirrels along with other patterns inspired by nature.

Spring Colors

Spring Colors

Spring Colors

Spring Colors

 

This little vinyl decoration on this bright yellow plate was so charming at the Silhouette booth! The vinyl is a great way to personalize kitchen items and use them for home decor and brighten up any room just in time for spring. Especially with a brightly colored plate like this one.

Silhouette Cameo

 

I even got a chance to make my own little spring card for a friend with a trusty pair of Westcott scissors. I’m not sure why he’s so sad, perhaps he needs a friend? Either way, he’s adorable!

CHA 2013 Trends

If these cute product previews haven’t inspired you to start thinking about crafting for spring, maybe our collection of spring projects will!

Don’t forget to enter our CHA swag bag giveaway! You have until January 3sth to enter to win a bag of exclusive sneak peek prizes directly from the show floor!

swag-bag-giveaway

When do you start crafting for spring?

New Yarn Trends at CHA + Swag Bag Giveaway!

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The Craft and Hobby Convention (CHA) took place this past week and our entire craft team was lucky enough to be in attendance. There were so many amazing new craft items that we’re excited to share with you all. Technology even played a huge role in the show! Read about the technology trend here, and scroll down to learn about how you can win our Swag Bag Giveaway!

Personally, I couldn’t help but focus my attention on yarn. I got a sneak peek at all the up-and-coming yarn that will be hitting the market this fall, and I cant wait to tell you all about them! Continue reading to get your very own sneak peek of what’s new in the wonderful world of yarn.

Lion Brand Yarn

Known for it’s wide variety of yarns and free patterns, Lion Brand has been a family favorite since 1878. Their booth at CHA not only featured new colors to some of your favorite lines (such as Vanna’s Choice and  Wool Ease Thick & Quick), but they also had a ton of brand new yarn that you’re going to love. Check some of them out below:

Bonbons: These Baby Yarns are seriously the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. They are perfect for smaller-scale projects that requires multiple colors, such as granny squares, amigurumi, crochet edging, friendship bracelets, and even scrapbooking. Each assortment contains 8 miniature skeins of sport weight yarn; six color assortments are available (Brights, Pastels, Beach, Nature, Party, and Celebrate).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zpagetti: Go green with this recycled yarn! All you need is one cone of this repurposed fabric yarn to complete a project. Patterned (below left) and solid colors (below right) will both be available.

 

 

 

 

 

Bellini: This super soft yarn features a ladder construction and is very easy to work with. We love all the fun colors!

 

 

Vanna’s Sequins: A twist on the classic Vanna’s Choice line! This new yarn features sequins woven into the worsted weight yarn, giving it the perfect amount of sparkle. Perfect for holiday projects.

Home Spun Thick & Quick: Another update to an already-popular yarn, this Home Spun Thick & Quick yarn is just as soft as its predecessor, and it’s extra bulky, making it perfect for fall and winter crochet patterns.

 

Premier Yarns

The international yarn company that brought you Deborah Norville and Starbella have a whole slew of new yarns and colors for the upcoming fall season. Check them out below!

New Yarns for Fall 2012:

City Life: 64% Polyamide, 25% Acrylic, 13% Glitter Yarn (left)

Couture Jazz: 81% Acrylic, 19% Polymide

Ever Soft: 100% Acrylic

Lash Lux: 100% Polyester. Available with sequins, too! (98% Polyester, 2% Payette)

Merry: Perfect for Christmas projects! 75% Polyester, 25% Lurex (right)

Wool Free Sock: Soft and yarn without the itchiness of wool. 98% Acrylic, 7% PBT

New Additions to the Starbella Family:

Starbella Flash: 86% Acrylic, 14% Glitter (below left)

Starbella Stripes: 100% Acrylic (below right)

 

 

 

New Additions to the Deborah Norville Collection:

Cuddle Fleece: Available in dots and mosaics. 100% Polyester (right)

Everyday Soft Worsted: 17 new colors (including neon!)  and 6 new prints. 100% Acrylic (right)

Serenity Chunky: 8 new colors. 100% Acrylic

 

 

 

Swag Bag Giveaway!

 

You didn’t think we’d go to CHA Summer 2012 and not bring back something for all of our lovely readers did you? We went to the Craft and Hobby Trade Show like we do every year and collected all the swag we could into a large CHA Swag Bag Giveaway! We picked up some awesome prizes from Mod Podge, 3M, October Afternoon, and so much more! So don’t hesitate! Enter today by answering the question below in the comments section.

Giveaway Rules:

Contest open to US and Canada residents 18+
One comment/entry per person per blog post.
Contest closes Sunday, July 29, 2012 at 11:59p CST.
Please comment on any of the Summer CHA 2012 blog posts to enter.
Winners will be posted on FaveCraftsBlog.com and notified by email.

What is your favorite new yarn from CHA? Leave a comment below and let us know!

CHA Trend Report: The Technology Edition + Swag Bag Giveaway!

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Did you miss the summer CHA show this year? No worries! We have all the coverage you could want to know all the hot ticket items that will be hitting craft stores near you very soon.

On today’s report, I’ve got the hot technology trends that were on display this year at the Craft and Hobby Trade Show. This one is easy because there was only one thing that stood out above and beyond and at multiple booths: QR Codes!

There were all sorts of ways you could incorporate QR codes into all your crafts. My favorite were the fabric QR code patches from stkr.it.  You simply sew on the little fabric patch and add video, audio, or photos to it with your smart phone. Once it’s set you can give your handmade quilt or purse with a super special personalized message sewn right to it! It makes it easier than ever to include personal messages and photos into the items you love making for loved ones.

 

Sizzix also makes these cute little “talking tags” for all of your scrapbook QR code needs! If QR codes make sense anywhere, it’s in a scrap book. You can upload full videos to go along with your scrapbook pages!

 

So if you thought the QR codes were over and done, you were wrong! They are bigger than ever in the crafting world, at least they were at CHA Summer 2012, and for the most of us who love preserving memories, they’re the perfect thing to bring back old videos or photos from your computer that can’t all necessarily fit on one page!

Giveaway!

FC Blog Giveaway Logo July FaveCrafts Radio Wrap up!

You’d didn’t think we’d go to CHA Summer 2012 and not bring back something for all of our lovely readers did you? We went to the Craft and Hobby Trade Show like we do every year and collected all the swag we could into a large CHA Swag Bag Giveaway! We picked up some awesome prizes from Mod Podge, 3M, October Afternoon, and so much more! So don’t hesitate! Enter today by answering the question below in the comments section.

 

Giveaway Rules:

What is your favorite craft company?

Craft and Hobby Association Convention: We’ll be there, will you?

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It’s that wonderful time of year again where we here at FaveCrafts get to attend the CHA Trade Show! It’s so much fun every time we go and the Chicago show is extra special because it’s so close to our offices that all of the editors here at Team FaveCrafts get to attend!

CHA Convention

Source

If you aren’t familiar with the Craft and Hobby Association, you should definitely check them out. They are around to help out business of all sizes. If you are a member and this will be your first trade show, don’t worry! Check out these articles from our friends at Creative Income Blog on Trade Show Tips, they’ll help you prepare for what to expect.

For the winter show, we can only send a handful of people to cover the whole floor, so we don’t have a ton of time to hang out and connect with you all. That is not the case in the summer show. We want to meet you!

Our very own editorial director, Simone Collins, will be spending some time in the iLovetoCreate booth on Tuesday from noon to 1:30 in the afternoon. If you have some free time around then, stop on by and say hi!

As always, be on the look out for our re-cap posts! We’ll be covering all the hottest crafting trends coming for next season as well as the coolest booths from the show and new technology being presented at the show. You definitely won’t want to miss out on that!

Will you be attending the show? Let us know in the comments!

Lucky Winner of the CHA Swag Bag!

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Thank you all for entering our CHA swag bag giveaway! We received such a big response from you all. Unfortunately, there can only be one winner and we wanted to let you know who that lucky person was!

And the Winner is…

Tina
“Patterns. Lots and lots of patterns!! Patterns for beading, crocheting, knitting, counted cross-stitch and quilting!! Patterns in book form, patterns in sheet form, patterns on the internet!! And yes, I have more patterns than I’ll be able to create in my lifetime!!”

Please contact us with your information Tina, so we can send along your CHA Swag Bag prize!

Again thanks to everyone for participating. If you haven’t seen our round up blog post yet, check it out! It’s a great way to see the show from the perspectives of some amazing bloggers. We also wrote up our own posts about all the exciting things to come, when you’re done reading you’ll feel like you were there too!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!
If you are looking for another way to win an amazing prize, you won’t want to miss our Cleaning Out The Closet Giveaway!

CHA Winter 2012 Recap: Blog RoundUp

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Last week we attended the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show in beautiful Anaheim, California. If you have never heard of the CHA show, it is a trade show for craft manufacturers and retailers that happens twice a year. The CHA Winter Show is generally a much larger show and really starts the year off right with so many new products, inspirational projects, and so many creative people all in one place. At CHA Winter 2012, there were so many things we would love to share with you all, that we are so happy to give you this list of awesome articles about the show.

If you have an article with CHA Winter 2012 coverage, feel free to add it below! Then use our RoundUp logo on your post to complete the circle of love. And don’t miss our CHA Giveaway! There is still time to enter and it’s so easy!