Cheap Thrills

This week's featured artist is a designer of wearable art. He is inspired by his travels to Japan to the galleries of lower Manhattan. Let's meet Spencer!

Name: Spencer Moy, 29
Hometown: Manhattan, NY
Occupation: Industrial designer, owner and designer of Smoy PhotoCuffs
Craft: Handmade photo cuffs
Web site: www.smoy.net

How did you get into making photo cuffs?

After working abroad in Tokyo, I came back to New York. The idea of the Smoy PhotoCuff was hovering in the back of my head since leaving Japan but I thought I needed more work experience. Tired of freelancing and temping, I decided to take the idea off the shelf and into reality.

What's your best tip when making something?

Don't be afraid to show your designs to friends. Feedback is very important. It's a humbling experience, but you can learn so much from another person's perspective.

Where do you find inspiration?

For the photocuffs, the inspiration is to create a simple yet stylish canvas that people can transform into artwork of their own to wear and share. You can take your favorite photos, clippings from newspapers/magazines, etc and make your own unique creation -- a visual collage of your memories and a personal statement. For more inspiration I like to go to crafts fairs and galleries in Chelsea.

If you've been reading this blog for some time, you'll know that Etsy.com is one of my favorite Web sites for buying and selling everything handmade. Etsy is eye candy for the craft lover! I recently discovered this adorable animated video that clearly illustrates how to buy or sell your crafts online via Etsy.com. Check it out!

-- Corris

DIYers know it's never too early to start thinking about the holiday season. On Long Island, the Martha Stewart Crafts holiday collection debuts Friday, Nov. 2 at Michaels retail stores with dozens of new products to help you trim, glue and glitter your way to a festive home.

The offerings include a cleverly designed glitter ornament card kit, $16.99, which includes everything you need to make eight custom cards with die-cut ornaments the recipients can detatch and hang on their trees.

For decoration, the glitter snowflake kit (above), $14.99, comes with four chipboard cut-outs from 5- to 11-inches in diamater plus three vials of glitter, satin ribbon and craft glue.

If that's not enough sparkle, molded paper acorn ornament gift boxes, $8.99 for three, are perfectly sized to hold little trinkets. The vintage, European-inspired boxes are sold plain but can be hand-decorated with ribbon, glitter and other embelishments.

The collection also includes more than 40 spools of ribbon, holiday gift wrap and tags, seasonal acrylic stamps, plus a host of patterned boxes, tissue paper and baker's twine to package homemade cookies and candy.

This week's featured crafter is a stay-at-home mom, but she says, "SAHMs know that term is an oxymoron of sorts because we are rarely at home!" Let's meet Kelly!

Name: Kelly Walker, 32
Hometown: Middle Island, NY
Occupation: Stay-at-home mother
Web site: www.betterwithabow.com

How did you get into your craft?

It all started shortly after my fourth child was born. Ever since I was a little girl, I've been a sucker for hair ribbons. After having my own daughter, I quickly realized that by the time she had enough hair for the traditional hair clips she'd be choosing boys and make-up over ribbons and bows. Plus, no matter how much pink one dresses a baby girl in her mother is bound to hear "what's his name?" or "he's so cute" at some point. It probably didn't help matters that my own little bundle of pink looks identical to her big brothers!

I wanted to find pretty hair bows for my baby that didn't involve silly headbands, Velcro or glue. I started making adorable bitty hair bows called Bald Baby Bows that are guaranteed to hold in baby fine, barely there hair! Things just sky rocketed from there and now I create and sell a full line children's accessories and apparel that is custom crafted with ribbons and bows.

What's your best craft tip?

Stay organized! If you're planning to craft on a large scale, take the extra time to create and update a detailed inventory list. This way, you'll always know what supplies you have in stock and what needs to be ordered.

Warren Berry wrote about Cellfire, a neat service that sends money-saving coupons to mobile phones:

Why is it that shoppers who produce coupons at checkout time are always looked at as if they were dinosaurs by younger consumers impatiently waiting in line behind them?

Maybe the young shoppers will start saving some money, too, now that the coupon has gone cellular. Using a free service from a new company called Cellfire, they can download coupon numbers onto their cell phones, show the code number to a salesclerk and get the same price break as the person clutching those ragged old paper coupons.

Right now it's a free service, as long as you have established a text service with a phone company, point out the consumerists who run the Telecommunications Research & Action Center (TRAC.org).

Today. About two-thirds of the users of these new "mobile coupons" are between the ages of 18 and 34, Cellfire says. That's probably because they're accepted at Papa John's Pizza, Domino's Pizza, Subway, TGI Friday's and Cold Stone Creamery, and they work with Alltel, AT&T and Verizon Wireless data plans.

Long term. With easy-to-use "mobile coupons," retailers may enjoy redemption rates in the double digits instead of the paltry 1 percent they get now, according to Frost & Sullivan, the market consultants. And it'll be a lot cheaper than mailing them addressed "ATTN RESIDENT."

The Long Island Craft Guild's Bowls of Plenty committee is hosting a worthwhile event. This group collects handmade bowls from regional potters and sells them at soup luncheons to raise money for charity organizations.

Here's more details:

Who: Long Island Craft Guild

What: Bowls of Plenty Soup Luncheon

Where: Doubleday Babcock Senior Center
45 East Main St., Oyster Bay, N.Y. 11771

When: Sunday, November 4th, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission: $20 adults, $10 children 12 and under. Cost of admission includes the purchase of a handmade bowl. All proceeds benefit Celia Flower Food Pantry, Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Contact: Mia Levin (516) 662-1080

Photo: Drawn with Crayola crayons by Tiona Marco, tionacrayola.etsy.com

Halloween is only 12 days away! Do you have a costume yet? Well, have no fear ... the crafty folks at Threadbanger.com have many videos to inspire and maybe even light a fire under your rump!

Check 'em out!

DIY FAIRY WINGS: No fairy wings ... no problem! Learn how to make fairy wings from some old coat hangers and stockings. Time to fly!

Loren Talbot & Jean Tanler, owners of a new store called Local Labels, has invited you to join them in celebrating the launch of their specialty foods & gifts Web site. Meet local artisans and manufacturers and raise a toast to all good things made within the five boroughs of New York City!

If you're going...

The party will be held on Wednesday, October 24th, from 6-8 p.m. at the Lower East Side Girls Club Gallery at 56 E. 1st Street between 1st & 2nd Ave in Manhattan.

Please RSVP: rsvp@locallabels.com

Visit their Web site: www.LocalLabels.com

This week's featured crafter is a mother of four girls who found a great way to stay at home and still make money doing what she loves. Let's meet Irma!

Name: Irma Brenes
Hometown: Ridge, NY
Occupation: Optometric technician
Craft: Handcrafted note cards

How did you get into your craft?

Twenty five years ago when I was a young mother, I desperately wanted to stay home and have a home-based business. I had always enjoyed painting and drawing. It still is my passion. As a child I would spend hours coloring and drawing.

Needless to say, it made sense for me to handcraft my own greeting cards, note cards and stationary. During those early years of motherhood when I was home, I made many handcrafted note cards that my mom and dad would take to work and sell for me. Once the kids got older my hobby was put on the back burner.

But my love and need to be creative could not stay on the back burner forever. It wasn’t long before I began to pick up my watercolors, crayons and rubber stamps again to create mini works of art. Over the years I must have created thousands of handcrafted note cards which I have used myself or have given away as gifts or as donations.

Photos of pint-size ghosts and goblins all dressed up for Halloween can be published into custom photo greeting cards for grandparents and friends too far-flung to witness the big night of trick-or-treating in person.

Photo sites like Shutterfly, Kodak and Snapfish do all the heavy lifting for you — just pick a design, upload your photo and type a message. What’s more, all these sites will print and mail your cards directly to your loved ones. Prices average $2.50 per card, plus tax, postage and a small handling fee.

With the popularity of custom photo books seeming to explode more every season, sites are offering even more selection in themed books tailored to Halloween, family recipes, baby's first year and many more. On Shutterfly, you can even create a personalized story book for kids, putting their name and photos alongside Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Big Bird ($39.99).

I've always dreamed of writing a novel, but I never have the time to sit down and bang it out. However, I do have time to create a zine! This quirky YouTube video by SamProof shows you how one sheet of white paper and a few origami-style moves can yield a super cool little booklet. Create your own zine to showcase your personal thoughts, tell a few jokes, and then add a cartoon for good measure. It's easy and fun!

Decorating and disguising store-bought candy is an easy way to add a little more homemade to the holiday. It’s the perfect kind of prep work kids can enjoy as they countdown to October 31st. Make one or all of the following candies to distribute on Halloween evening: Vampire suckers, grave robber goody bags and mummified candy bars.

Vampire suckers:

To create you'll need:
* Several yards of black Paper Twist
* Vampire face and vest template
* Tootsie Pops
* Hot glue gun
* Red marker - fine point tip
* Scissors

Before you begin, photocopy the templates. You'll need one vampire face and one vest for each sucker.

To make one sucker:

Unfurl Paper Twist and cut a rectangular piece measuring 3 inches by 8 inches long. Apply glue to the sucker wrapper and fold paper over sucker. Apply glue to the vest cut out and attach it to the middle of the sucker. Apply glue to the top two corners of the paper and wrap around to cover the top portion of the vest, forming a collar. Apply glue to the bottom back portion of the face cut out and attach it to the top portion of the sucker. Allow to dry and repeat process with remaining candy. Don’t forget to dab his fangs with red marker.

I am mourning the end of summer, especially the warm rays of the sun, picnics, and the smell of the ocean. However, it's always sunny when I get a package from Home of the Sampler in the mail. Hurray!

What is the Sampler? It's a cool way for indie designers, artisans, record labels, and makers of crafty things to get samples of their goods into the hands of the public. If you're a crafter, you can contribute to a pool of handmade items that's distributed to people who pay to get a box o' samples. Not the crafty type? No worries! You can buy a Sampler box for yourself or give one as a gift! It's perfect gift for those friends that have everything.

Home of the Sampler recently added Sampler Select, which is a collection of exclusive items custom-ordered from Sampler contributors. The next batch of curated Sampler boxes will focus on sleep! What a cool way to get your Zzzz's and awesome handmade goodness shipped right to your door!

Here are some of the great finds inside this month's Sampler box:

Manic Trout has contributed a beautiful necklace called "Freak Like Me." I adore charms and have collected many over the years. I think this charm necklace is sweet, despite it's raunchy name. The charms included are a lie detector, a horse shoe, a four leaf clover, a key and a heart. Bada bling!

I love getting a crafty, yet practical gift! Jeanne's Craft Boutique accomplished that with this cute, compact mirror that shows my smile on one side and reminds me to "enjoy quilting" on the other side of the mirror. It's too cute! I have never tried quilting before and now, I think I'll give it a try! Quilted coasters anyone? I plan to carry this mirror in my pouch from Art School Dropout, mentioned in last month's review of the monthly Sampler.

At the bottom of my Sampler box, I saw the most exquisite card! It's called the Good Husband Card Collection by Carmi. And while I think I have the best husband, someone else obviously has a good one too! A lot of craftsmanship went into making this card, there's stitching, appliques, and a lovely quote: "I'd rather have roses on my table, than diamonds on my neck!" This is such a unique card.

Do you want your baby to stand out at the next playdate? Then pick up one of the offbeat infant t-shirts made by DishyDuds.com. I received a baby t-shirt with a googley face, much like the googley faces I make at children to get them to laugh. This t-shirt is soft, plush and perfect for moms who prefer not to dress their child up like Winnie the Pooh.

A yellow envelope tied in a red raffia ribbon caught my eye had an amazing quote by Picasso stamped on it, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." Inside the envelope was a beautiful necklace made of cultured freshwater pearl with Swarovski crystals. You can score one at Gotbeads.com.

Do you play golf, but have yet to putt on real grass? Have you ever played tennis without an actual racket? Well, then you must know the joys of playing with Nintendo's Wii.

You'd be surprised at how much action there is, with all that arm swinging and Wii throwing -- yes, there's quite a bit of the latter!

In response to the Wii flying off the arm of unsuspecting gamers, Nintendo is giving away free Wii jackets as a safety precaution. Pick one up here! Game on safely, my friends!

This week's featured crafter uses one of my favorite materials -- pipe cleaners! She travels the country sharing her love of twisting pipe cleaners into fanciful creations for kids as Wendy The Pipe Cleaner Lady a.k.a. the "Pied Piper" of pipe cleaners. Let's meet Wendy!

Name: Wendy Feldhuhn Baner, 47
Hometown: Asharoken, NY
Occupation: Entertainer
Craft: Twisting pipe cleaners
Web site: www.thepipecleanerlady.com

How did you get into twisting pipe cleaners?

My husband or soon to be ex-husband (my "wasband") told me to get a "real" job ... so I made one up! Now I'm going to get a "real" husband! ha ha! But seriously, as a child I got excited if a telephone truck was parked on my block. The telephone men used to give me their leftover telephone wires. I took them and made them into jewelry. Back then I made a daisy ring which is the ring that started my career only now I'm twisting pipe cleaners.

What's your best craft tip?

Artwork is a bunch of mistakes until you like it and sometimes you just don't like it yet. Sometimes a mistake will take you to another more creative place then you would have gotten to without it. Some of my mistakes turned into my best projects.

A mocha choca latte with extra foam isn't the only thing you'll go home with after a trip to Starbucks.

My favorite spot for a cuppa Joe has started their Song of the Day promotion. That's right! You can get free music download cards at your local participating Starbucks and then log onto the iTunes store to get one of their cherry-picked songs by a variety of talented artists every day until November 7th.

What a sweet deal!

My husband loves wearing those trendy Guess jeans with all the rips and fancy dyes, but I don't love the pricetag. So, I was pretty excited to find this quick instructional video by Threadbanger on YouTube on how to dye jeans using some coffee grounds and a little creativity. Check it out!

This week's featured crafter uses her creative juices to write and make jewelry. What an interesting mix! Let's meet Rachel...
Name: Rachel Morgan Kalina, 23
Hometown: Born and raised in Oceanside, currently living in Astoria, NY
Occupation: Assistant Editor at a parenting magazine
Craft: Vegan-friendly jewelry
Web site: www.adornedbymorgan.etsy.com

Where do you find inspiration?
Among other things, I am inspired by bold colors, unusual textures and unexpected combinations of shapes, which all just seem to "click" when any such elements come together. I mostly gain inspiration from the materials with which I work, and I enjoy studying vintage and current fashion. I could spend hours in a bookstore looking through pages of vintage costume jewelry photos.

How did you get into making jewelry?
I've been into fine arts and crafting since I can remember. As a child, I loved to play with others but I also enjoyed the time I spent drawing, beading, knitting or any other type of crafting on my own. I have pictures of me wearing some fairly bold, handmade creations— even in elementary school. I guess I felt they set me apart; that's part of the reason why I decided to start selling my jewelry. It's just too easy to quickly buy an item simply because it's cheap and close to the checkout line in any clothing store. When I realized jewelry was losing meaning for me, whereas it had always been a form of self-expression, I decided it was time to really crank out some cool pieces and share them with others.

With Halloween just around the corner, costume-making is in high gear -- you'd be amazed at what a corrugated box can transform into -- with a little imagination and a lot of that aforementioned hot glue.

Ditto for home decorators: All around the Island, ranches and Cape Cods await a liberal dousing of faux cob webs and foam gravestones. Don't hide your creative light under an, er, uncarved jack-o-lantern. Email photos of your cute or over-the-top Halloween costumes (for you, your kids, your pets) and house decorations to us at part2@newsday.com, along with your contact information. And then get back to work.

You can also browse and add your photos to our reader costume and decor galleries.

Newsday Photo by Ken Spencer of Jamie and Mike Kelley's home in Huntington Station.

It happens to all of us at some point in life -- losing a sock in the laundry. Newsday's Gary Dymski explores the mystery of lost socks in a recent Home Work column. Below, he offers tips on what to do with the sock that's left behind.

What can you do with single socks?

Making sock puppets comes to mind, an especially inexpensive crafts project for letting children explore their creative side. There are hundreds of books for making such puppets, including "Sock and Glove," by Miyako Kanamori (Perigee Trade Paperback Original/Penguin, $12.95).

For more practical uses -- like covering your hand to make a furniture dusting glove -- check out singlesocks.com.

Here are some ways to use single socks:

Make a draft dodger. Cut the toes from several socks, and then sew them together to make a tube. Stuff the tube with more socks, then cover each end with a sock to complete the dodger and cut down drafts from doors or window sills.

Polish and clean items in the garage or shop. They're excellent for applying car wax.

You're invited to a fabulous fall fiesta hosted by jewelry designers MaryAnne LoVerme and Naomi Strom of Wabisabi Brooklyn. Check out their unique line of vintage-inspired decoupage jewelry. Wabisabi Brooklyn was featured in September's Home of the Sampler box (read my review).

Who: Wabisabi Brooklyn
What: Fabulous Fall Fiesta
Where: Nostalgia Guest House, 391 Hoyt Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY
When: Sunday October 7th, 7 p.m.
How: F or G train to Carroll Street, get out at the 2nd Place exit, cross Smith Street and head down 2nd Street (not 2nd Place) one block to Hoyt Street.
Why: Because we like you and have been busy making lots of pretty new things for you to buy.
RSVP: wabisabibrooklyn@gmail.com

Visit them online: www.wabisabibrooklyn.com

How about a lunchtime treat? Starting at noon today, Live Nation is putting 1,000 Maroon 5 concert tickets on sale for a mere $20. Hurry, this bargain show at Madison Square Garden will be held on Oct. 10.

The handsome lead singer, Adam Levine, and his talented band are likely to belt out hit songs "Harder to Breathe" and "This Love" and a few from their newest album, "It Won't Be Soon Before Long." Get your tickets, you don't want to miss this show!

Special thanks to the Backstage Pass blog for the tip!

It’s that house ... the one all the kids talk about. The one all the adults envy. The house that truly embodies Halloween. It has the décor, the music and, of course, the best candy. Every neighborhood has at least one. And this year, your home can be that house and you don’t need to channel the spirit of Martha Stewart either!

Made from dried apples, these shrunken heads can be used as place cards for a Halloween dinner, suspended over a doorway or skewered on dirty dowel rods in the front yard.

Ingredients:
Several Granny Smith apples
Whole cloves
Handful of dry rice
1/2 cup of lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
Snips of wig hair

Tools:
Small bowl
Large spoon
Small paring knife or potato peeler
Wire rack
Bamboo skewers

In a small bowl prepare a mixture of the lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of salt. Peel apples and coat with mixture to prevent browning. Use the peeler or the knife to carve out eye sockets, a nose, mouth and ears. You'll want to create large facial features as the apple will shrink in size.

To create the eyes, place whole cloves into each eye socket. Insert dry rice into mouth cavity to make teeth. To accelerate the drying process, place the apples in an oven at the lowest temperature for a few hours. Keep an eye on the apples as you don’t want to cook them. Remove apples from the oven and place on a wire rack in a warm, dry place for about 2-3 weeks.

After the apples are dry, add snips of wig hair. Wrap hair around the sharp tip of a bamboo skewer and insert tip into apple. The hair should stay in place, if it appears loose add a drop of glue and allow to dry.

-- by Steven James

Need more help or have a question about these projects? E-mail Steven James at create@macaroniandglitter.com. Visit his Web site at www.macaroniandglitter.com and his etsy store at macaroniandglitter.etsy.com.