Cheap Thrills

Sure, it's stereotypical to think there aren't any female sports fans out there. Still, we love the idea that stores are hosting special sales during the Super Bowl geared toward women who'd rather tune out. Check back, we'll keep adding more as we find them.

On Long Island:

Three Black Sheep in St. James (213 Lake Avenue, 631-584-9276) is normally closed on Sundays but will open for a super one-day-only sale from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. that will feature closeout yarns at up to 75% off.

The Knitting Corner in Huntington (718 New York Ave.)--which stocks Rowan, Jo Sharp, Debbie Bliss, Noro, Berrooco, Katia and other brands of yard-- is "kicking off" it's winter clearance sale Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. with discounts promised steep enough to allow the store can make room for spring merchandise.

The Fabric Mill in Plainview (219 South Service Road, 516-465-6400) has extended its annual winter sale through Super Bowl Sunday, when the store is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. All home decorating fabrics are 10-50% off.

Elsewhere:

From noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday, Edressme.com--which carries dresses by designers like BCBG, Anna Sui, Rebecca Taylor and Tibi-- will be putting new designs on sale every hour as part of an incentive for women to "get distracted" by shopping during the game.

This week's featured crafter first became inspired to design candles and matchboxes after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Before long, one thoughtful act of kindness turned into a full-fledged business.

Name: Jenifer Lew, 40
Hometown: Mattituck, NY
Occupation: Owner, Jen Lew Designs
Craft: Handmade candles and decorative matchboxes
Web site: www.jenlewdesigns.com

***Special offer *** Customers using the code Newsday08 will get 10% off anything on www.jenlewdesigns.com.

How did you get into making candles and decorative matchboxes?

I created my first matchbox after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. I lit candles every day to wish everyone well. I also wanted a box that would look pretty on my coffee table and that coordinated with my décor. My interest in creating a beautiful yet functional object soon turned into a creative passion.

I gave matchboxes and candles as gifts to friends and family and soon my first batch of matchboxes were in high-end boutiques around Los Angeles. The rest is history.

Where do you find inspiration?

My inspiration comes from everywhere, including fellow crafters, small-business owners, friends and family, books, store displays, and other products. Anything I see can inspire me to create something new or take a new approach to something old.

Nothing says "from the heart" more than a handmade treat for your sweetie on Valentine's Day. Check out this fun craft tutorial for making an adorable wrapping for a box of Valentine Nerds candy! When giving a loved one a gift -- no matter how small -- it pays to be creative and show that you've put forth an effort. Enjoy the video!

Special thanks to Angie Juda for the video tutorial! For more information on Angie's altered creations and other crafts or to inquire about craft supplies, please visit her blog: http://www.chicnscratch.typepad.com/

When Harry Wicks approaches a piece of wood, he says, it tells him what it "demands" to be. It could be a bowl or a platter or a rolling pin. Whatever the shape, though, Wicks considers his creation a work of art.

"It's no different from painting or doing sculpture in clay. It all comes from the same brain," says Wicks, 70, who graduated from the art and design school at New York's Pratt Institute. His art form - wood turning - wasn't in the curriculum, though.

"I'm self-taught. I always loved working with wood," says Wicks, who has been doing it full-time in his Cutchogue home-studio for the past 15 years. His work is currently being shown and sold at three spots, Blue Door Gallery in Riverhead, Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery in Cutchogue and Gallery North in Setauket, as well as at his own studio.

Bipartisan lawmakers approved an economic stimulus plan and it looks like we'll be getting up to $600 per person to spend and hopefully boost the slumping economy.

The tax rebate is great for crafters as it seems we always want or need something for our crafting adventures.

While I should be responsible and use the extra money to pay a bill, I plan to blow some of it on something really cool and fun. Here's how I plan to spend it:

Handmade soap -- Showering with a bar of hand-crafted soap is one of my favorite ways to relax. Morgan Street Soaps offers a line of indulgent flavors, such as Black Raspberry Vanilla and ChocoTherapy. Buy online: www.morganst.net





Macrame -- A blast from the past, macrame is not just for hanging your potted plants! I've discovered the adorable handiwork of MacraMe and I simply must have one of their owls. Buy online: macraMe.etsy.com





Scrapbooking kits -- I adore papercrafting and I can never have enough decorative papers to make greeting cards, paper cranes, and scrapbooks for my friends and family. You can get your monthly fix with the kits offered by Scrap Muse, a mid-month scrabooking club. In your kit, you'll get beautiful patterned papers, embellishments, and even a chocolate candy bar! Buy online: www.scrapmuse.com/

And since I'm a responsible adult, I will definitely put the rest of my tax rebate into my savings account, which happens to be earmarked for crafts!

"Real Simple Cleaning: Your Room-by-Room Guide to a Beautiful House," (Real Simple Books, $$21.95): This book is crammed with ideas about cleaning virtually everything, from showers to a child's bedroom to home office. There's good advice on how to mix or not mix certain products, quick fixes for messy areas, floor waxes, cleaning the ceiling and a lot more, in a highly accessible format.

This week's featured artist is a wife, mother and former art teacher. When she's not on Long Island, she enjoys visiting her second home in Florida where she discovered the art of painting on palm fronds. Let's meet Suzanne!

Name: Suzanne Rall-Smith, 49
Hometown: Bay Shore, NY
Occupation: Substitute teacher
Craft: Hand painted palm fronds
Web site: srallsmith.etsy.com

How did you get into your painting palm fronds?

About a year after I purchased my house in Florida, several hurricanes hit and left a lot of debris. Many palm trees were shaken so hard that the palm frond boots were scattered all over the place. While cleaning up, I thought they had a unique shape and were a beautiful wood surface on which to paint, so I began painting on them creating masks and fish.

Imagine--an entire weekend exclusively devoted to working on your scrapbook projects without interruption. Kathryn Johnston, owner of Central-Islip based Classy Crops, is organizing such an event the weekend of Feb. 1 (a.k.a. Super Bowl weekend) at the Best Western in Riverhead.

For 54 hours straight, scrappers can set up their own workspace in a banquet room and get busy. They'll have access to die cut machines, classes and vendors, plus a massage therapist and reflexologist will be making rounds to massage weary hands.

How-to classes are promised, as is access to photo enlarging stations, gadgets like Sizzix.

Packages run from $50 for a single afternoon of scrapbooking to $562 for a three-night stay at the hotel in your own room, reserved cropping space and several meals.

See Classy Crops for reservation information and more details.

Newsday photo by Daniel Goodrich

As the pop classic says, "You always hurt the one you love."

TLC sure loved "Trading Spaces," so much so that the cable network nearly loved the poor show to death.

By January of 2005, TLC had decided to revamp the franchise and give the boot to perky host Paige Davis, who joined the show in its second season in 2001.

"Trading Spaces" is still on the air, but with no host and after much tweaking of the format, the thrill is gone. When a new team came in to run TLC a few months ago, a top priority was to return the channel's onetime tent-pole show to its former glory.

On Saturday at 10 p.m., two days after the third-year anniversary of the announcement of her departure, Davis returns.

Continue reading this article...Paige Davis returns to host TLC's 'Trading Spaces'

Art show titled "Material Conversations - Jewelry Found and Fabricated" opens on Jan.22 at the Hillwood Art Museum, with a reception on Thursday, Jan. 31st from 5-8pm. It closes on May 10th. The Hillwood Art Museum is located on the C.W. Post campus of LIU, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY. The Museum hours are: Mon., Tues., Wed., and Fri. 9:30-4:30, Thurs. 9:30-8 and Sat. 11-3.

Alice Sprintzen has been teaching jewelry making for over 20 years. She currently teaches at the Art League of Long Island in Dix Hills, Long Island. She has written several books including, The Jeweler’s Art: A Multimedia Approach and, Crafts, Basic Techniques and Design. Her jewelry has appeared in several books and magazines. Her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S.

Photo: Alice Sprintzen, "Mask" 2005. This piece is made of abolone shell button, musical instrument part, game piece, carnelian, bathtub drain plug chain, brass, sterling silver.

Houses Inside and Out. By Mariette Himes Gomez, CollinsDesign, 244 pages, $39.95

PURPOSE: To help make a house a home.

AUTHOR'S CREDENTIALS: In 1975, interior designer, Mariette Himes Gomez, launched Gomez Associates in Manhattan. Her furniture line - the Mariette Himes Gomez Collection for the Hickory Chair Co. is available in stores throughout the country. Gomez, a resident of Manhattan and Long Island, is the author of "Rooms."

EXCERPT: "A house is an idea, a house is a thing, a house is you, a tangible embodiment of your dreams and desires and interests. Your house has its own personality and continuity and unity. Its parts come together as your home. My conviction that houses are wholes that express the spirit of the inhabitants forms the core of this book. It is the premise underlying my approach to designing a house."

Scrapaholics, the scrapbooking and rubber stamping store in West Hempstead, is moving to a new location--(275 Hempstead Turnpike, W. Hempstead, 516-483-3745) with more retail space and a larger classroom.

A moving sale started Wednesday, with some products marked 40-75% off for clearance.

This week's featured crafter is the creator of a charming line of wallets and bags made with fun, groovy fabrics. Let's meet Kelly!

Name: Kelly Chaffin, 24
Hometown: Middle Island, NY
Occupation: Visual merchandiser
Craft: Handmade wallets and purses
Web site: LucyMae.etsy.com

How did you get into your particular craft?

The girl I was four years ago would have ran the other way at the sight of a sewing
machine or knitting needles. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. However,
being the creative girl that I am, I would see clothes and accessories that I wanted
and say 'I could totally make that!'

About three years ago, I started out with knitting and moved onto sewing. It took a vast amount of time to pick up each craft. I had to experience a lot of trial and error because I was teaching myself the skills. Even to this day I amaze myself every time I sit down to sew or knit, because I learn a new technique or a better way to complete a project.

What's your best craft tip?

Practice makes perfect ... or at least some interesting creations! Remember that every bump along the way is just another step in the creative process. Just have fun!

Where do you find inspiration?

While creating my products, I find inspiration from vintage styles found in clothing and housewares. I love anything that has to do with polka dots, so they can be found on a lot of my creations. When working with fabrics, I enjoy mixing different patterns and textures. Essentially, I try to expand on and imagine what it means to be "classically" feminine.

These are two words that aren't typically used together. But yes, a DIY furor of sorts has been unfolding online, centered around the talent of 28-year-old Ronkonkoma scrapbooker Kristina Contes.

Short story: Contes was named a 2007 hall of famer in a nat'l contest organized by Creating Keepsakes, the largest scrapbooking magazine. Subscribers staged an all-out revolt when her winning layout was published with a photo credited to one of her friends, a violation of the contest's rule that all elements must be the entrant's own work. Thus, the magazine revoked said honors a few months later.

Long story: According to Contes, livid DIYers turned into trolls on her blog, took cheap shots at her work--which has been featured in many print and online publications--in scrapbooking forums like TwoPeasInaBucket.com. Lost in the chaos was the point that Contes herself asked the magazine to credit her pal (also a popular scrapbooker) who took the photo in question when her winning layout was published--not something someone who is intentionally violating the rules would do. She doesn't contest her disqualification, she takes issue with all the backlash. You can find all the nitty gritty details in a piece by the Los Angeles Times.

LATimes photo by Carolyn Cole

So, it's been 14 days since I made my New Year's resolution to give up ice cream and I've already broken my promise. I'm sorry, but that bowl of Haagen-Daz was calling my name!

My best bud Jeannine is faring much better with her annual to-do list, which includes giving up sodas, spending more time with friends (me) and saving money for a rainy day. In honor of her ability to stick to her guns, I'm rewarding her with a snazzy, personalized clipboard to hold her list of resolutions and any other accomplishments she'll make this year.

Want to make one of your own? No problem. I learned how to dress up a basic office supply clipboard by watching this video by Angie Juda, a Stampin' Up! demonstrator in Overland Park, Kansas. Check it out!

Special thanks to Angie Juda for the video tutorial! For more information on Angie's altered creations and other crafts or to inquire about craft supplies, please visit her blog: http://www.chicnscratch.typepad.com/

-- by Corris

As with any good painting, abstract or otherwise, the documentary "My Kid Could Paint That" gives off so many different perspectives and possible interpretations that it challenges the viewer to arrive at a clear, hard assessment of its complete picture.

Amir Bar-Lev's documentary, which will be shown at 7:30 p.m. at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, traces the story of 4-year-old Marla Olmstead, who became the talk of the art world after her abstract canvases were discovered on the walls of a cafe in her hometown of Binghamton, N.Y. When the money being offered for Olmstead's work stretched into the thousands, the media's eyes got bigger, and soon, she and her parents were besieged by TV cameras. At first, the attention was laudatory and then, with skepticism creeping in about the authenticity of the paintings, accusatory.

Here's the thing I love about DIYers: Every single one I've met so far is willing to demonstrate, teach and share their crafts with others--even if selling said handmade crafts is their primary source of income. Talk about spreading goodwill.

To that end, I'm loving these funky block print T-shirts for kids, which Philadelphia-based DIYer Stacy Monakey demonstrated her technique for making earlier this week on Martha Stewart's show. They're really fun and not terribly complicated to make, unlike other block print how-tos I've seen recently.

You can see the full how-to, including a video demonstration, and download a few patterns to try yourself at marthastewart.com.

Every week, Newsday features local artists and crafters on the Cheap Thrills blog. Will you be the next Do-It-Yourselfer of the Week?

Here's how to get featured:

E-mail Corris Little and tell me about your handmade creations. Please include a daytime phone number, your e-mail address, pertinent Web sites: blog, myspace, etsy, etc. You'll need to send in color color photos of yourself and your artwork. These photos may be used on the blog and in various forms of promotion on Newsday.com.

Please note: We're super busy here at Cheap Thrills and we get LOTS of e-mail and letters, but we'll be sure to respond to those we'd like to interview. Thanks for your patience and time.

Now get craftin' ... show me what you've got!

Cheers,
Corris

What a sweet deal! Baskin Robbins is offering customers one free sundae with the purchase of any sundae.

Click here to get the coupon. Enjoy!

Do you know of a great deal or bargain? Pop me an e-mail and we'll share it on the Cheap Thrills blog.

Here's a book to help you renovate it yourself ...

The Pocket Renovator: An Illustrated Guide to the Language of Home Improvement and Renovation. By Leslie and Pamela Banker. Universe, $19.95

PURPOSE: To introduce first-time buyers and renovators to home improvement terminology so that they know how to speak to and hire contractors or do the work themselves.

AUTHORS' CREDENTIALS: The Bankers are a mother and daughter duo with design expertise. Pamela Banker has more than 30 years' experience in the decorating and design profession; Leslie Banker, her daughter, is a journalist whose work has appeared in Architectural Digest, House & Garden and Town & Country.

My buddy Jessica Damiano over at the Garden Detective blog has a list of gardening items for sale, including these adorable garden stakes for only $9.99. Hurry, bargains await!

This week's featured crafter is the mother of two children Gwendolyn, 8, and James, 7, whom provide her with plenty of inspiration to create. Let's meet Yvonne!

Name: Yvonne Stewart, 35
Hometown: Rocky Point, NY
Occupation: Jewelry designer
Craft: Handmade jewelry
Web site: ZuzusPetalsCreations.etsy.com
This artist was recently featured in Newsday's handmade holiday guide

How did you get into making jewelry?

I have an extremely varied background in all that is artistic or creative. I need to be constantly creating something! When I became a mom, some of my creative endeavors didn't fit into my new, very busy life as a mom. I have always loved jewelry and wanted to make it, but I was forever waist-deep in some other creation du jour.

I started collecting materials, making jewelry and giving them as gifts. It worked out so well with my personality and lifestyle that I fell in love with it. My daughter loves to make jewelry as well and we like to sit together and have some creative bonding time.

What's your best craft tip?

Crafting should be therapeutic, not frustrating. If what you are creating is frustrating to you, move on and try something else. When you find the one perfect craft for you, make sure that while you are creating you have good lighting, a comfortable position and peaceful surroundings. Not that I ever have the perfect setting but, I think it would be nice!

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in a variety of things: nature, painting, sculpture, ancient and modern world cultures, antiques. My children provide inspiration as well through their interests and artwork.

What craft would you like to try next?

I want to blow glass! I think it is the one craft I have yet to dabble in.

Where do you get your supplies?

I usually order my basic supplies online from many different suppliers. I buy most of my beads on Ebay, which is great for vintage beads. I find that the local chain stores don't always carry the better quality supplies.

What's your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is making time for jewelry making and staying organized.

Do you have any advice for beginners?

My advice is to start with inexpensive materials while you are learning, especially for wire wrapping. You will be breaking and mutilating a lot of wire in the trial and error stage. Once you realize how expensive the precious metal wires, are you'll agree. Start with the materials from craft chain stores such as Michaels, A.C. Moore, etc. and then start ordering the more expensive materials once you've mastered your craft.

Why do you love your particular craft?

I love it because it is large scale creativity in a small scale craft. It is challenging to come up with that really great design, yet therapeutic at the same time.

For more information about Yvonne Stewart's jewelry, please visit her Web site: ZuzusPetalsCreations.etsy.com

On Dec. 16, I attended Bust magazine's Bust Craftacular at the Metropolitan Pavillion in New York City.

It was an all-day indie shopper's paradise! Amid the crowds of people, there was a dizzying array of handmade goods, including soaps, silk-screened t-shirts, dog sweaters, beautiful pottery, and recycled or repurposed creations.

Crafty darling and funnywoman Amy Sedaris was there signing copies of her new book "I Like You." I waited in line for a mere 15 minutes for some face time with Amy. Often, I'm sorely dissapointed when meeting celebrities in person, but Amy was a delight to meet. I left her booth with an autograph and huge grin....she said my name was "cool!"

The Bust Craftacular was truly an amazing event. Did you miss it? No problem, you can still get the goods by visiting Bust's vendor list.

Shannon Okey who owns the store StitchCleveland and runs Knitgrrl.com, a fiber arts Web site, got a sneak peek at Heather Ross' new fabric line at the event. It's super cute! Check it out!