In this issue >>>
Find out what’s NEW! Short Designer bios Some Q&A! NEW Designer Spotlights! Who’s been WINNING!
Issue
May 1, 2013
Non-stop fun! There are quite a few
new directions that Design Wars 3 is driving in, and one of the most important ones, I think, is the Daily Giveaway; yes, I literally mean giveaways every single day throughout the duration of Design Wars 3, 40 to be exact! If you’ve been following us so far, you may have noticed that the Daily Giveaways began with the release of our newsletter, on 24 April, and I want to assure you that they will be going non-stop until the day before our final newsletter for this round (2 June). You can scroll on down to get the Daily Giveaway schedule for this week, and we welcome you to participate daily for maximum prize opportunities or only on the days where a particular giveaway sparks your interest. The point of our Daily Giveaways is to make interacting with you fun, with no awkward shout-outs, or blathering nonsensical updates, so that you enjoy following our progress and that it’s a rewarding and fun experience for YOU! So, remember, we really enjoy interacting with our fans; we appreciate you, your feedback, your participation, and your support, and we will do our very best to make Design Wars the hottest little stop on your virtual road trips every day! Thank you, and remember to always spread peace, love, happiness, good will and yarn!
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*RHY to render prize pack, photo may not represent actual prize.
You can enter to win! It’s not quite time
to enter for this superb prize pack just yet, but entering will be as easy as 1, 2, 3! Official updates will only be found in our newsletters, so be sure you subscribe to stay “in the know”.
Get your sunglasses… Katie Hanken | Design By Katie Hanken I live in Norway
with my husband, Øystein and son Oliver. We will soon be joined by our new daughter who will be arriving any day! Crochet design for me is really fun; I love the creative process of realizing a new design idea. I love participating in the Design Wars Challenge because it is so fun getting to know other designers and getting to participate in a creative challenge where we all can shine; each in our own individual way! Read more about Katie in this spotlight from DW2, pictured below with her handsome son. Design Wars (DW): Can I shamelessly exploit Baby Girl in a daily giveaway post and ask fans to suggest names for her? Katie Hanken (KH): Well, we haven’t picked a name for her yet… DW: If you win DW3, how will you celebrate?
Jonna Ventura | Frayed Knot
I live in Wyandotte Michigan with 2 rambunctious boys and my hubby of almost 10 years. His name is John. Yes, we are John & Jonna...super cute, right?! I absolutely love to design! I actually love to design more than I love to crochet. I have what a lot of others have...crochet ADD! I have to make everything different just to change it up. I love to try new techniques and different stitches. I have swatches of yarn all over the place with random stitch and color combinations.
KH: I’ll celebrate by giving my very good friend, Salena Baca, round trip tickets to visit me in Norway where we’ll spend lots of time crocheting together, drinking coffee, and watching past seasons of Sex and the City!
Design Wars is seriously so much fun and the suspense of everyone's designs are absolutely killing me! I LOVE being a part of this extraordinary community of talent and vision. It's inspiring. Read more about Jonna in this spotlight from DW2, pictured above with her lovely sister, and best friend. Design Wars: Any fun facts you’d like to share? Jonna: I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage on July 5th, my birthday is December 23rd, and I’m currently renovating my house!
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Get your sunglasses… Carolina Guzman | One & Two Co. I began to crochet when
Tarra Murray | Mamachee
My mom named me after the plantation in Gone with the Wind. Every time I watch that movie, I'm glad that she didn't name me after Scarlet (not a bad name but she is such a stink! haha). I crochet and raise 4 children way up in Alaska. I love living up here. I believe in excessive smiling, working hard, crocheting every day, trying new things, and failing. I'm thrilled that I get to play with yarn all the time and so excited to get to participate with the awesome talent of Design Wars 3! Thank you for being here, and remember to always spread love and yarn. Read more about Tara in this spotlight from DW2, pictured above; lovely as a flower in springtime! Design Wars (DW): Do you really collect forks? Tarra Murray (TM): I do NOT collect forks, but we do occasionally use them at meal times! DW: If you had to change careers tomorrow, what would you choose? TM: I would definitely move to New York City and become a day trader specializing in tangible comities and frozen orange juice!
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I was a child. My mother and my grandma taught me and soon it became my passion. After my daughter's birth I had a "peace period" which allowed me to discover Etsy (what a great discovery indeed). It allowed me to share my creativity with a huge community and to have another reason to move forward developing new projects. People's responses have been fascinating: to have the possibility to see how my designs go miles from where I live is incredible and it keeps surprising me! My main inspiration is my little 4 year old daughter. She is very creative and she tells me tales and stories full of incredible characters... all the time. Many of them appear in my projects. I hope to improve more and more, with new and fun projects, without losing the spirit that inspired me at the beginning. Read more about Carolina in this spotlight from DW2, pictured below with her gorgeous little girl. Design Wars: Why “One & Two Co.”? Carolina Guzman: It’s simple; 1) I take over the world, 2) I redecorate it with lovely applique designs.
Get your sunglasses… Danyel Pink | CrazySocks Designs
I currently live and crochet in my home in Puyallup, WA, USA. I have 3 small children & a massive case of "Mom Brain". I love flip flops, hoodies, and sunglasses. When I go yarn shopping, I ALWAYS sniff the yarn. I also have a serious office supply addiction. I began crocheting to help keep me busy during the uncomfortable portion of my 2nd pregnancy, and have been "hooked" ever since. I bet my husband wishes I had taken up housework instead... Read more about Danyel in this spotlight from DW2, pictured below, with two of her lovely kids! Design Wars (DW): Quick! Your house is on fire, what do you grab? Danyel Pink (DP): My yarn! Oops, I mean my kids…
Salena Baca | Baca Creations
I’m serious and sarcastic, I like to read, cook, think, design, and I absolutely love carbs! I try to always practice and express patience, peace, happiness, and love, and I strongly believe in having darn good friends and being faithful to hobbies that make you happy. You can read more about me in this spotlight from DW2, pictured above with my crazy little man boy. Design Wars (DW): Why Design Wars? What do you hope to accomplish? Salena Baca (SB): I want to create a community of strong, independent crochet based entrepreneurs who are passionate about their work, with positive mindsets, and a desire to create great, new ideas to share with others of likemindedness.
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Playin’ Hooky Designs Deisgn War (DW): What are the best words of wisdom you can provide to hopeful designers? Liz McQueen (LM): In the famous words of Dori, “just keep swimming!” (Can you tell I have young kids?). Sales won’t always good and you’ll hit bumps along the way, but don’t let that discourage you. One of the most valuable things I have done is form a connection with other designers and crocheters from all over the world. They give me support, answer questions, and give invaluable feedback. The crochet community can be an amazing place to form friendships and guide you along the way. DW: If you could meet anyone in the crochet world, who would it be? Why? LM: I would love to meet Twinkie Chan! We have very different styles, but I love her bright colors and cheery designs. She always makes me smile! DW: What is your most recent accomplishment? LM: I am about to install the biggest yarn bomb I have ever attempted! Last May, I lost my happy, bright, sassy, and amazing 5 year old daughter, Bryn. It was very sudden and sent shockwaves through my family. Just days before she passed away she had her last day of Preschool and she couldn’t stop talking about going to Kindergarten. She dreamed about the day she would meet her new teacher, friends, and all the things she would get to do at her new ‘big girl school’. But that day never came. Almost a year later and days before what would have been her 6th birthday we will celebrate and remember her by yarn bombing the fence around the elementary school. A group of over 300 crocheters from 35 states, 7 Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, Germany, Italy, and Australia have joined together to make flowers, ladybugs, bees and more to make Bryn her very own garden. The crochet community has shown me and my family an outpouring of love and it means the world to us. (Continued on next page)
*Sporty Flip Flop Baby Sandals by Two Girls Patterns (below)!
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DW: Other than your own designs, do you have a favorite pattern? LM: I came across a very cool bag design that I HAVE to try out! I don’t make many bags, but this one looks like so much fun and you could probably substitute your favorite granny square pattern too! It’s called Inga's Häkelbeutel, by Inga Joana Mertens. The original pattern is in German, but it’s been translated to English. It also has a photo tutorial that makes it look super simple to follow. I also love the Sporty Flip Flop Baby Sandals by Two Girls Patterns! DW: Which would win in a street fight; a sheep, or an alpaca? LM: Alpacas – They wouldn’t be afraid to fight dirty. Plus they spit! DW: Do you wear your own crochet goods? Which pieces? LM: I usually don’t have time to make myself a hat! When I had longer hair, I wore a Big Waffle Beanie every day. But now that I chopped my hair off I don’t wear a lot of hats. When I put one on it tends to look like I don’t have any hair, and the truth is that hat hair is WAY worse with short hair. DW: Which of your designs do you feel best represent you as an artist? LM: I think that has to be the Strata Beanie. I love creating textured beanies that are easier to make than they look, and that are versatile enough to be worn by men, women, boys, and girls. I also like crafting designs that help teach other crocheters new skills and gently push them out of their comfort zone, where great things can happen!
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Mad Mad me Design Wars (DW): Define success; what do you hope to accomplish? Charissa Ragsdale (CR): At the risk of sounding like an activist, I don’t have a personal end goal for Mad Mad me, I have a vision that includes a lot of little people, like me, coming together to create a handmade revolution. I believe a movement has been stirring and we are, as a society, ready to overthrow the status quo. I believe we can stand up and shout over the noise of the mundane, the massed produced, the monotonous to create something beautiful, something lasting and something pure to leave as our legacy. It is my hope, that other creatives see what we are doing and want to become a part of this movement and build their own cottage industries, working with their hands and minds to build and teach, to grow and sell. I could go on about this for quite a while but I’ll spare you the rhetoric, that’s what I have my own blog for right? DW: What is your most recent accomplishment? CR: In keeping with my ‘vision’ of a handmade revolution, and the promotion of other artists and crafts folk, I’ve pulled together a group of lovely, talented people that are all working as ambassadors for the handmade. We banded together, we help promote each other’s shops and we teach and advise each other on all business related topics. It’s amazing to see the excitement, the creativity and the wings sprouting! This group, igniting the fire of creativity and passion in all of us, is my most recent accomplishment, and it’s not even mine alone! It belongs to all of the Mad Makers out there: www.MadMadMakers.com (continue on next page).
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DW: Other than the Design Wars garment, what are you working on? CR: Granny squares. Grannies are my therapy, I have at least 11 granny projects going on right now and I don’t even care if I finish any of them, as long as I can sit and make grannies. Each square is a tiny project in itself and I get lost in the color combos and enjoy creating them freehand, no pattern, no plan, just start in the middle and add and add until I love it. DW: Do you wear your own crochet goods? Which pieces? CH: I do!!! I love sportin’ my own gear. There is no better conversation starter than wearing something that is wildly unique in public. My favorite time to wear my projects is when I’m out yarn shopping. I enjoy finding kindred spirits in those magical aisles of fiber! DW: Which of your designs do you feel best represent you as an artist? CR: Years ago, thirty-two to be exact, I learned my first crochet stitches, got busy growing up, and tucked what I learned away into the shadowed corners of my brain. Years later, I purchased my first brick of polymer clay, and I became passionate about creating my own canes and Millefiori designs. Then I got too busy watching my kids grow up, and tucked that information away into the now cobwebbed corners of my brain, right there, next to the crochet stitches. Recently, I’ve dusted off both interests and I’m finding ways to use them together. Being new to designing I created something very simple and practical, and embellished it with a bit of clay. It’s not stunning, it’s not even popular, but I think it’s me through and through. It’s my Mad Hook Organizer.
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Who won what, and when
40 days of giveaways, oh my… If you’ve been following along on our fan page I hope you’ve
noticed our Daily Giveaways! Design Wars challengers have teamed together to offer great giveaways to our lovely fans every day, but you have to follow and participate to enter! If you are chosen to win, please quickly contact the shop owner directly to claim your prize; you only have 24 hours to make your claim or the prize for that day is totally void! Here’s the new line up, enjoy!
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DW patterns and yarns in action Crème de la Crème yarn is probably my favorite cotton line, ever! I loved it so much that while working on my Design Wars project I was also inspired to make this Tenacious tee pattern (child & adult sizes)!
Crystal Bucholz, of Crystalized Designs, shared this lovely picture of the Sarah Slouch that she worked up (Left). This is the winning garment from Design Wars II, pattern by by Frayed Knot (Right).
Amy Davis shared this picture of the Lola Slippers that she worked up (Top). This is the winning design from Design Wars I, pattern by by Mamachee (Left).
... If you have completed a Design Wars Pattern, or used one of our past Want be featured our next issue? looking for: yarn to picks that you in would like to shareWe’re with us, please e-mail your - Your projects made from to: past Design Wars patterns, submission for consideration DesignWarsChallenge@yahoo.com - Questions you have for your favorite Design Wars Challenger, - Crochet news, announcements, and milestones! Send your feedback to: DesignWarsChallenge@yahoo.com
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If you have completed a Design Wars Pattern, or used one of our past yarn picks that you would like to share with us, please e-mail your submission for consideration to: DesignWarsChallenge@yahoo.com
Because, everyone loves fun.
Our very own Katie, owner/designer
of
the
coveted operation design You already know our yarn pick (Red Heart Yarn Crème de la Crème), but can you guess which stash belongs to which challenger?
by Katie Hanken, just had a
baby
girl
and
will
probably regret telling us that she has not yet
Not only is this a fun way to interact with other Design Wars followers, this will also be one of our Daily Giveaway! That means everyone who participates and comments with a guess will be entered for a chance to win the Daily Giveaway prize! We’ll let you know when it’s up and ready!
picked a name… So, you’re going to help us give her some suggestions! Look for our blog post on the subject so you can post your best baby names for Katie to consider, and I’ll make sure she reads every single one of them while she recovers! We love you Katie, enjoy that brand new baby girl!
What’s next? Issue 3: May 8 >>> Mad Mad me and the Mad Makers will be giving away Etsy gift cards! There are lots of entries to be earned (10 votes per person!) and you can read about the prizes and how to participate right HERE. Giveaway ends May 3rd at 2pm CST, and winners will be announced by Monday, May 6th.
Sneak Peek Week! New Daily Giveaway Schedule! NEW Sponsors!
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Fan contributions Daily Giveaway Winner Shout Outs!
Beautifully designed and hand crafted gifts and goodies to love! Follow me on facebook for auctions, sales, and special orders!
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