Show Notes
Hello … and welcome … I am so excited that you're joining me today for this very first podcast episode. I'm going to try to keep this intro episode short and sweet, so we can get to the good stuff, but I thought I'd introduce myself and give you an idea of what this podcast is all about. You may have guessed by the title, each week we will be in the craft room … talking all things craft. You may also have guessed that I really love craft … and this is true. I love it so much that I created a career around it, and I can talk about it all day long. Since lots of my crafty friends live far away, and my cat doesn't seem interested in discussing Mama Elephant's new release, or the fun crochet pattern I just discovered … a podcast seemed like a good idea. I'm super excited to have someone to talk to about all sorts of crafts, and I would love to know what crafts you're into. You can let me know by leaving a comment on the blog post ... HERE. Fair warning, I will likely talk about stamping, cardmaking, colouring and papercraft quite a bit, as that's the main focus of my business. However, I have a couple of quilting projects on the go, I just bought a new crochet pattern to try, and I usually have a couple of embroidery or cross stitch projects underway at any given time. I do enjoy painting, although I don't get to paint as often as I'd like. I teach classes locally … embroidery, dollmaking, crochet and painting on fabric … and it's so fun to connect with other craft-loving ladies in person … definitely one of my favourite things! At this point you may be wondering … "Who is this Dawn Lewis, and what does she even know about craft?" … a fair question indeed. Well … while I wouldn't call myself a specialist expert in any one craft, I do have experience with a LOT of different types of crafts, techniques and products, and I've worked professionally in the Australian craft industry for over a decade. Being a professional crafter is incredibly cool, and I've been able to say yes to some incredible opportunities … designing for some amazing brands including Semco, Francheville, Milford Threads, DMC and Australian Girl dolls. I've been on some cool design teams, like KennyK Stamps, Little Miss Muffett, Tiddly Inks and Kindred Stamps. I've had original projects published in Australian craft magazines including Handmade, APQ, Patchwork & Stitching, Australian Stamping Cardmaking & Papercraft. Definitely the coolest job I've ever had has been hosting and present on Scrap It TV, from seasons 3 through 7. That was such a fun gig! I've had businesses selling handmade things, from ceramics to folk art, dolls to bags, and right now I have an online store specialising in stamping. I'm a qualified Copic instructor and authorised Copic stockist. So … yeah … when I said I loved craft, I really, really meant it.
Craft isn't just craft … it's so much more, for so many people. For some people, it's their happy place, for others it's a way to exercise their creativity. Getting lost in your favourite craft allows you to take time out from the craziness of life and do something that makes us truly happy. Craft can help us express ourselves, meditate, earn a little extra cash, meet new people and so much more. When it comes to this podcast, I have so many ideas, but what I'm most interested is helping people craft within their budget, and get more bang for your buck from the craft supplies you choose. And while I will probably talk a lot about papercraft, I'm excited to mix it up, because so many ideas translate across many different craft mediums. I have some fun guests to interview, and other times it'll just be you and me, and I hope you'll join me each week. Episodes will be positive, upbeat and encouraging, with practical tips and ideas … and they'll likely be longer than this one. I tried to keep this intro episode short-ish, so you can move on to episodes 2 and 3, in case you're a fan of binding new podcasts (which is something I love to do!).
More from The Craft Room Podcast
Hello and welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today, as we are talking about forgotten gems. If you've been crafting for a long time, like me, then you likely have a LOT of amazing products and resources. Back in episode 40 I talked about The Craft Stash, and this is kind of an extension of that episode. Usually when people talk about forgotten gems, they're referring to old movies or television shows, paintings or travel destinations. But this is a craft podcast, so, of course, we are going to be talking about them in the context of crafting. In thinking about this for a few weeks, I've found that forgotten crafty gems tend to fall into one of three categories … 1. Physical (which falls into 3 sub-categories - Consumables, Tools, References/Resources) 2. Virtual/digital 3. Techniques/knowledge So … what can we do to uncover our forgotten crafting gems. Well, before we talk about that, I would like to remind you of one important thing. If you were out in Lightning Ridge mining for opals, not everything you dig up is going to be a beautiful gem. There's going to be a whole lot of rubble, and, let's be honest … there's going to be some dirt. The same applies when searching for forgotten crafting gems, in your stash, on the internet, on your computer, your phone or in your memory. Be prepared to find a few things that you look at and wonder 'Why did I keep this?', and I suspect there will be some dust, and potentially a dead bug in there somewhere. The easiest way to find anything is to look for it, and I'll walk you through from low effort / low time options, then we'll level up. 1. Look 2. Closer Look 3. Sort 4. Organise If there's anything I hope you take away from this episode, I hope it is this … * It's worth pressing pause on bringing new things into your home so you can take some time to look at what you have, decide what you love and curate a craft stash that is a true treasure chest. * Keep track of your virtual and digital gems so you can enjoy them before they disappear. Block out some time to watch that video, look at old bookmarked pages, work your way through that online course or print those checklists and templates and use them. * Sometimes we need to clear the rubble and the dirt (and the dead fly) so our gems can truly shine. One crafters rubble is another crafters treasure. Mostly I hope that you find great joy in your craft stash, and if you find a truly amazing treasure, please feel free to share it, maybe in the Craft with Dawn Lewis Facebook group (link in show notes and on the blog). Enjoy the gem hunt, and happy crafting!
Today on The Craft Room Podcast, let's talk about something that most crafters will probably consider at some point in their lives … a no spend year. Sometimes it's a month, a quarter, six months … but most commonly I see people setting this goal for a whole year. It might sound drastic, even unthinkable to some, but in this economy, especially with the rising prices of craft supplies, there are plenty of people doing a no-spend year. I'm not trying to talk anyone into such a dramatic situation, and, of course, there are some alternatives, so let's talk about the difference between a no spend, low spend and mindful spend year, the reasons you might consider them, and how you can succeed at such a challenge.
Hello and welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today, as we are talking about the benefits of swatching. Yes, I am on a swatching kick right now and it all started thanks to my friend Sally. I went to visit her last month and she showed me her beautifully organised craft supplies, but more importantly she showed me her ink pad swatches. I knew the second I saw it that this was the solution I had been looking for for years. It's not like I've never swatched before. My Copic markers are swatched out on a hex chart, I've swatched some pencils and a watercolour palette. But I didn't have what I have always wanted … a swatch folder with all the colours in one place. Until I saw Sally's I didn't know why I was baulking at it, and the reality is … I wanted more swatches to a page. It's not like a plastic sleeve with pockets is a revolutionary product, but I'd never seen coin collecting sleeves used for swatching before. I will link to the ones I used below.
Today on The Craft Room Podcast, let's talk about my Big Announcement and Product Longevity.